Different Fates v3
by Jaenera Targaryen
Summary: One must always be sacrificed, such was the fate of the sisters. Who is not important, so long as one is sacrificed [REWRITE].
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I do not own the Fate franchise it belongs to Kinoko Nasu and Type-Moon.

Different Fates

Prologue

" _You're going…?"_

" _Yes, I'm going."_

 _The little girl looked away at that. "What's wrong?" Tokiomi Tohsaka asked._

" _First sister…" Sakura Tohsaka replied. "…now you…everyone just keeps on leaving me behind. Will mother be next?"_

" _Now, now…" Tokiomi chided her, sinking to a knee in front of Sakura. "…don't say that. That's bad luck. And besides, you already know this don't you? Magi walk with death. And your sister…"_

 _Tokiomi trailed off, and he sighed. "It's for the best." He said softly, and Sakura looked at him._

" _You miss her too." She said. It wasn't a question. Father and daughter locked eyes, and after a few moments he nodded._

" _Yes…" he said. "…I miss her too."_

 _Sakura was silent, and then her eyes seemed to light up. "Then how about we go see her after the war?" she asked, tilting her head like a bird. Tokiomi blinked and laughed._

" _Tempting…" he said, getting to his feet and running a hand through her hair. "…but you know we can't. That was part of the agreement between me and her grandfather."_

" _But you're the Supervisor, aren't you father?" Sakura asked. "And it was your and Matou-san's agreement, so why don't you just change it?"_

" _It's not that…simple…" Tokiomi began, and then he sighed. "…I understand. I'll see what I can do."_

 _Sakura brightened up that, and Tokiomi couldn't help but smile at that. He never could, no matter how much he had hardened his heart to face his duty as a magus and the head of the Tohsaka Clan, or for the sake of this contest for that matter. The smiles of his children always made him smile in his turn._

" _But in return…" he told Sakura with a raised finger. "…I want you to do something for me."_

 _Sakura looked quizzical at that, and Tokiomi slowly drew a large, glowing, red gem on a fine silver chain from a pocket. He held it up, and as Sakura held up her hands, he dropped the gem into her palms. "I'll leave it with you for safekeeping." He said. "I'll want it back when I come back, alright? So don't lose it."_

 _Sakura smiled. "You promise you'll come back…?" she asked, and he laughed. He ran a hand through her hair again, and she giggled and leaned into his hand._

" _Of course I'll come back." Tokiomi said. He leaned down and kissed her on the forehead. "How could I get it back if I don't? And have I ever lied to you?"_

 _Sakura raised her face and shook her head. "No…" she said. "…never…"_

 _Tokiomi smiled, and turning with a hand raised in farewell left down the street. Behind him Sakura continued to watch, and as a strong breeze blew sending leaves and grit flying through the air, her smile faded._

 _Will you really come back? Will you keep your promise? As you said, magi walk with death. Can you keep your promise? Can you come back?_

Callused fingers caressed the gem, still glowing with the energies kept within as it did ten years ago. Sakura sighed, shaking her head clear of the memories. "In the end you never kept your promise." She said softly. "But I don't blame you. People die in war. Even back then I knew that. You were in a war after all. Not a war between nations, but a war fought by seven magi. And now, I'm about to go to another war like that, just like you father."

With another sigh she dropped the gem into her jewel box, and hopped off from the desk in her workshop. Taking a single glance at a clock mounted on the wall, she then glanced at a picture of her father on her desk.

" _Wish me luck, father._ " Sakura thought. " _Both now, and when the contest begins. If I fail here, I won't be able to join the contest. And if I fail there, well, I'll consider myself lucky if I lose but live. If I don't, then that's the end of our family._ "

Sakura laughed to herself at that, a hand dropping to the sword at her waist. "Those who live by the sword die by the sword…?" she said. "Oh well, I chose this path six years ago. I might as well put it to the test."

Her eyes hardening, she opened a drawer and withdrew the case carrying her catalyst. Opening the case, she withdrew the catalyst and placed it carefully in the middle of the summoning circle prepared in the middle of the room. After placing away the empty container and closing the drawer, she took another look at the clock. "It's time." She said, moving to stand at the edge of the summoning circle.

In her mind's eye she could see a pool, still and clear in the night, a waning Moon reflected on the surface. A single drop of water shattered the stillness, breaking the Moon's reflection in waves of silver. At the same time, a familiar numbness spread through her body, as prana flooded through her magic circuits.

A figurative twist and she projected a dagger in one hand, which she used to slit a finger on the other. Squeezing her muscles, a few drops of blood trickled out and dropped on the summoning circle which began to glow.

Discarding the dagger and using a handkerchief to stop the bleeding, she held out a hand over the circle and began to cast the summoning spell. "Let silver and steel be the essence." She said. "Let stone and the archduke of contracts be the foundation. Let rise a wall against the wind that shall fall. Let the four cardinal gates close. Let the three-forked road from the crown reaching unto the Kingdom rotate."

The circle glowed brighter, prana beginning to visibly coalesce around the catalyst. "Let it be declared now…" Sakura continued. "…your flesh shall serve under me, and my fate shall be with your sword. Submit to the beckoning of the Holy Grail. Answer, if you would submit to this will and truth. An oath shall be sworn here. I shall attain virtues of all of Heaven; I shall have dominion over all evils of all of Hell. From the Seventh Heaven, attended to by three great words of power, come forth from the circle of restraint, protector of the holy balance…!"

The summoning circle flared bright with power, prana coalescing into a towering, hugely-armoured figure that cast a long shadow over Sakura. As the circle's glow faded, the eyes of Master and Servant met. An impossibly-long instant passed, and Sakura's eyes narrowed.

Metal flashed in the darkness, and stone flew explosively into the air.

* * *

Elsewhere in the city, another summoning ritual was also taking place. In fact, it wasn't very far from the Tohsaka property, within range of something of a long walk.

Beneath the Matou mansion, a similar summoning circle glowed in the darkness, the light reflecting off slick, sticky ichor and multi-faceted insect eyes. But where the Tohsaka summoning circle glowed bright and white, the Matou summoning circle dully glowed red.

Zouken Matou was silent, impassively watching as his granddaughter spoke the words of the summoning ritual, a hand held out over the summoning circle. She had foregone a catalyst, preferring to summon a random Servant attuned with her spirit over one selected by a catalyst but would potentially clash with her.

It was a sound argument, but considering the angry, sullen glow of the summoning circle, he would not be surprised if the girl botched the ritual up one way or another.

 _Well, if she did then she knows what's coming to her. The worms are always hungry, and it's not like some part of her doesn't enjoy it. She just doesn't want to admit it._

The worms stirred with excitement at Zouken's thoughts, for while they could not understand higher concepts of emotion they knew that whenever their nest and in a twisted, perverse way _mother_ opened herself to them, they would feast on her flesh and spirit both. For a moment the background sound of chitin against chitin or stone and the slick sound of wet flesh against wet flesh grew ever so louder, though to her credit Rin Matou was able to keep herself outwardly steady despite the stirring of the worms in her body.

At that moment the circle flared bright red, and Zouken slowly nodded. So, the girl succeeded. Pity for the worms, but she did succeed. A night's rest would be in order at the least.

And then the circle exploded.

Dust and debris, bits and pieces of flesh from those worms and insects unfortunately too close to the summoning circle flew through the air, and with the sound of breaking bone Rin struck the edge of the basement stairs at the wrong angle. She crumpled to the floor, and as she struggled to her knees she clutched at her side and coughed up blood.

It wasn't serious.

And even it was, and even if it wasn't, it wasn't as though the worms wouldn't let any lasting harm come to their nest. Even now, they were already working to repair the damage, the familiar sensation of flesh distorting and being pushed aside as the worms moved on their accord and went about their business inside of her stirred near the injured parts of her body.

Something loomed through the darkness of the basement, and then Zouken appeared next to her. He spoke a single word in Russian, and with a gasp it took all she had to keep from collapsing flat on the ground as the worms stirred up her body.

"Imbecile…" Zouken hissed. "…months of preparation down the drain…all because you…"

"I didn't…" Rin gasped out, struggling to keep her mind clear of the fog of all-consuming pain and pleasure that filled her body. It was a familiar sensation, though one she would never truly get used to, even long after she'd learned to let it fade into the background and stay coherent through the torturous training methods of the Matou Clan. "…I…can feel…the Servant…drawing on my…"

Zouken sneered, but the words died on his lips as a third voice spoke up in the darkness. "Is that really necessary?" it asked.

At once, Zouken ended the spell. He slowly turned away from Rin, and in the direction of the voice. Rin did so as well, slowly getting to her feet, one hand clutching at her side. Already the pain of her injuries was subsiding, and given 'punishment' for apparent failure wasn't even close to what she went through on training nights, her muscles were shaky but well in her control.

A gesture from Zouken increased the ambient light levels of the basement, exposing a male Servant seated on a small pile of rubble, dusting himself. As he rose to his feet and the light grew stronger, he was revealed to be of impressive height if not too tall, with tanned skin and white hair. He wore dark clothes under black, metal armour which covered his chest and torso, while a red cloak hung draped over his shoulders.

"That was a rather…explosive summoning." He quipped with a smile. "And I certainly didn't expect to be summoned in such a dismal place like this."

"I would say sorry for that…" Rin said, drawing herself up. "…but it's not like I had much choice where to summon you. And even if the summoning was…explosive, you are here now and that's what matters. My name is Rin Matou. I summoned you as your Master, and seeing as you answered my call I assume you are my Servant, isn't that right?"

The Servant smiled and briefly closed his eyes. Had the light been stronger, they would have noticed that his smile and expression held more than a hint of bitterness to it. As it was, not even Zouken noticed.

"So I am…" the Servant said. "…I am the Servant Archer. And it seems, I truly have something of a Master."

* * *

A/N

This will be the final version of the prologue.

I've already rewritten this once, it went out of control (I've re-read it countless times and to be honest I cannot figure out where and when it began to slide the slope), but seeing as some people I know in alternate history dot com have rewritten their TLs more than once (one TL I know – involving Germany winning/drawing WWI – has been rewritten five times though hopefully I won't have to go _that_ far) why not? This idea was my first Fate story, so I'm willing to do it as many times as necessary until I get it right.

Finally, should I take down the earlier version? Or should I leave it up?


	2. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own the Fate franchise it belongs to Kinoko Nasu and Type-Moon.

Different Fates

Chapter 1

 _Everything was burning. The city was burning. People were burning. He kept walking. He walked past the fires and through the ruins, ignoring the cries for help from all around him. He wasn't the only one there. But he kept walking. He walked past them._

 _He wasn't in a daze either, driven purely by primal instincts of survival. It hurt. Exposed skin reddened and cloth turned black from the heat of the flames around him. His chest hurt as smoke and soot entered his lungs with every breath. But he could think. The boy was perfectly aware of everything that was happening around him. Even so, he ignored the pleas for help and just kept on walking._

 _He didn't know who he was. He didn't know where he came from. He didn't know why he was there. He couldn't find the answers. He couldn't remember them either, if he even knew._

 _All he knew was that he had to survive. He would survive, and live to see another day, while everyone else died. He would escape the pain and the suffering where others would not. He was a sinner, and he would know it later on._

 _He would never forget._

 _He kept on walking._

 _But as night gave way to the morning, the flames began to die, and rain began to fall. The flames vanished, and smoke and steam rose from hissing ruins. The pain was still there. But he was alive. He'd lived to see another day. But the will to live that had driven him for so long was also spent, and the boy fell to the ground._

 _He'd come this far. It was enough wasn't it? He'd left so many behind to die, just for this moment. Now that he'd done that, perhaps…perhaps it was his turn?_

 _Darkness began to fall across the boy's eyes, but as he closed his eyes he felt footsteps approach._

 _He wasn't alone. Someone else was there. He opened his eyes, seeing a dark-haired man weeping from desperate eyes as he fell to his knees beside him. They weren't tears of sorrow though. The tears…the man's face…it was as though he'd found something incredibly priceless, something that he'd been searching for his entire life._

 _The man did something. The boy felt something warm creep across his body, and began to feel better. The man picked him up and held him close, the rain continuing to fall around them._

"Shirou…Shirou…Shirou…!"

Shirou Emiya opened his eyes, sitting up abruptly and causing the girl standing next to him to straighten with satisfaction. "Rin…?" he asked, and the girl in question smiled down at him.

"Good morning, Shirou." Rin Matou greeted him, and he smiled back.

"Good morning."

"Breakfast should be ready soon but…" Rin said before pausing and taking a look around. "…you should take a shower before the tiger arrives. If she finds out you fell asleep in here again…"

"Yes, yes…" Shirou said, scrambling to his feet and patting himself clean. "…it's too early to get into an argument with Fuji-nee."

Rin blinked and smiled teasingly. "Should I stay over more?" she purred while leaning to a blushing Shirou. "Maybe you might fall asleep in this place less with some…incentive. I certainly wouldn't mind."

Shirou laughed nervously and taking Rin by the shoulders, turned her around and gently pushed her out ahead of him. "Tease…" he said, closing the storehouse (and technically his workshop) door behind them. "…I don't particularly have anything against it but…um…I uh…we just shouldn't do it too much. I wouldn't want to get either or both of us into trouble with your family since, well, the natural suspicion would be right."

Rin was silent as they walked back to the house, and as they stepped inside, she stopped, not meeting Shirou's eyes. "And if things reached their logical conclusion…" she said softly. "…you wouldn't bail out on me, would you?"

"What…no, of course not…wait a minute, are you saying…?" Shirou spluttered before the blood drained from his face. Rin blinked and burst out laughing.

"No, of course not…" She said, and he sighed with relief. "…we always use protection, after all. Though I'm glad to hear you won't bail out on me if that happens. Most guys these days probably would."

"Well I'm not like most guys." Shirou said crossly. "…I have something called responsibility. And no offense, but please don't say things so ambiguously. You almost gave me a heart attack there."

Rin laughed again. "I'm sure I did." She said, and Shirou muttered something under his breath before coughing to regain his composure, his face slightly flushed.

"Well then, I'm going to take a shower. You sure you can handle breakfast by yourself?"

Rin gave him a look, and with an expression of placating surrender Shirou went off to take a shower while Rin headed back to the kitchen.

* * *

"I'm surprised."

Sakura Tohsaka glanced to where Rider had materialized and was now looking out of a window in her living room. "Over what…? She asked, and set down her teacup on its saucer.

"From the look of things your family – even if it's only you left – doesn't lack for money." Rider answered. "And from what I know of magi in this day and age, they like to live opulently. And yet there you are, eating a simple breakfast even for a general on the field with not a single servant to tend to you."

Sakura chuckled and took a drink of tea before responding. "It would be troublesome if I got too flabby." She asked. She glanced down at the remains of her breakfast: a serving of rice, scrambled eggs, and fried fish. "As for servants…this is a magus household. There are too many risks involved. Magi usually use homunculi or golems or automatons instead of simple hired help, but I'm not rich enough to afford any of those. And my family has no capability to make any of those either."

Sakura drained her teacup and set it down. "And while some families with similar circumstances would probably resort to using magic to create unthinking, mindless, slaves of hapless mundane Humans…" she said. "…I have some professional pride. I wouldn't sink so low."

"Is that so?" Rider asked with a laugh. Sakura glanced at him but did not reply. After a moment she rose, and placing her teacup and its saucer on the tray carried it back to the kitchen. When she returned several moments later, she grabbed her red cloak from a brass rack in the corner and draped it over her shoulders.

"Whether you wish to follow me around for the day is up to you." She said to Rider. "However I will make no effort to hide my presence. Not that it would work: I am the last Tohsaka. And since we're one of the founders of this contest that I'm the only one left implicitly guarantees me as a Master. Please rendezvous with me at school by sunset at the latest."

Rider chuckled. "Are you willing to trust me so easily, child?" he asked.

Sakura chuckled as well as she took her schoolbag. "Maybe I am…" she said. "…but even if you betray me like your legend suggests you might, it won't be for a while."

"And your reasoning is…?"

Sakura glanced in his direction and met his eyes. "Until you find a better Master than me…" she answered. "…you'll stick around. There's not much point in betraying me and getting nothing to show for it, is there now?"

Rider was silent, daring Sakura to break the gaze. She didn't, and after several moments he burst out laughing. "Well said child…!" he commended her. "You understand this great warrior well, and do not mince words about it. That is good, as it means you are less likely to be fooled than one otherwise. With that said, it might be that you have forgotten something."

"And what might that be?" Sakura asked.

Rider smiled before answering, a smile that grew wider as her eyes widened and then narrowed at his answer. "You used a catalyst to call to me." He said. "But even with a catalyst I could have rejected your call. And yet I did not. What does that say about you, I wonder?"

Sakura did not reply.

* * *

"GOOD MORNING LOVEBIRDS!"

"Good morning…" Rin answered irritably. "…must you be so loud? Or use such a troublesome word…?"

Ayako Mitsuzuri giggled as she placed an arm around Rin's shoulders. "Oh come on…" she said. "…it's pretty much an open secret for a couple of years now that you're an item. You just haven't made it official…and because of that boys are still breaking their hearts for you."

"They just want to get in my bed." Rin said bluntly, causing Shirou to look exasperated and Ayako to laugh at her cynicism. "And to get their hands on _these_ and more…"

For emphasis she hefted her breasts once, causing Shirou to cough reprovingly and look away with a blush. "That's…not something you should be doing in public." He said. "And that's a very cynical and general view of men, isn't it?"

"It's probably true though." Ayako said.

"Not you too, Mitsuzuri…"

"Oh come on Emiya…" she said with a roll of her eyes. "…I know you're pretty much the kindest guy in the school, but must you really blindfold yourself to the realities of teenage life? And teenage boys in particular…?"

"You're using really big words there Mitsuzuri." Shirou replied.

"I know, right?" she said with a grin. Rin and Shirou rolled their eyes as one. "It makes me sound so smart and important!"

Shirou looked cross, and made to say something only to be cut off by the sly expression of Ayako's face. "And besides Emiya…" she said. "…don't you think it's hypocritical to blindfold yourself in such a way when you've clearly gotten your hands on the, ahem, 'treasure' so many other boys we know want as well?"

Shirou and Rin alike threw dirty glares in Ayako's direction in response, and with a cough she removed her arm from around Rin's shoulder. "If Shirou and me are an open secret…" Rin groused. "…why don't they just go to that Tohsaka girl below our level? I'm sure Miss Calligraphy would be more than happy to help them out. And it's not like she doesn't have the popularity to draw their attention."

"Hey, hey…" Shirou said. "…I know you really don't get along well with that Tohsaka girl, but that's going a bit far isn't it?"

Rin scoffed, and began to walk faster, leaving Shirou and Ayako behind her. Ayako looked dreary and glanced at Shirou who wasn't looking too happy either. "Not going after your girlfriend, Emiya?" she asked.

"She's not my girlfriend." Shirou said grumpily, and Ayako rolled her eyes. Her expression stayed serious though.

"Friends with benefits then…?" she said. "You two might be fine with keeping things like that, but it's hardly healthy wouldn't you think? I knew Rin long before you did, and she was already something of cynic even back in elementary, but while cynicism isn't bad in itself if taken too far it can be. And keeping your relationship as 'friends with benefits' will probably just feed that cynical streak of hers…"

"I know that." Shirou interrupted. "But we're not 'friends with benefits', it's…complicated."

 _I can hardly tell her that we're master and student, can I now? Well I could…if it didn't involve magic that is._

"Alright, alright…" Ayako gave way. "…I'm just worried for you two. It's only natural for friends to be concerned for friends, isn't it? And I did introduce you two to each together…in a way."

"More like sent her to keep an eye on me when I was sick a couple of years back…" Shirou said. "…thanks for looking out for me. Back then…and now…"

"Hey, it's what friends do isn't it?"

"It is." Shirou agreed. "About me and Rin, we'll…work something out."

"Well, neither of you two is stupid." Ayako said. "I'll trust that you'll do the right thing, but don't leave it off for too long. I'd rather not see my friends hurt or weighed down by regret because of something they took too long to settle."

"Yeah, that's true." Shirou agreed. "I'll keep it in mind."

The two friends walked in silence for the next several minutes, more and more of their fellow students filling up the sidewalks as they approached their school. Shirou was thinking on his relationship with Rin – which had clearly progressed beyond master and student – when Ayako suddenly leaned in to whisper something into his ear.

"So…" she asked. "…how is she in bed?"

 _Well sometimes – including the first time – she's like an animal and is forcing herself on me…at others she's…like a completely different person and letting me take the lead…and sometimes…it's a mix of both…uh…_

 _Didn't she already ask me about this more than once before?_

 _And does she ask Rin too?_

 _What does she say?_

Shirou coughed, unable to meet the grinning Mitsuzuri and his face bright red. "It's none of your business." He said.

Ayako could only laugh.

* * *

" _Oh no…_ " Sakura thought as she spotted a trio of upperclassmen from the soccer team pick on a familiar victim.

She turned back to the trio of girls from the Calligraphy Club, and the notebook and pen she was holding. She made a series of five, graceful strokes to write the character in question, and handed it back to one of the other girls. "There we go." Sakura said. "It's better to use a brush for this, but this will do for now."

She glanced at the other two girls and smiled apologetically. "Sorry girls…" she said with a small bow. "…I have something to take care of just now, and class is going to start in a bit. It'll have to wait until later."

The girls looked unhappy at that, but they nodded their understanding. "Okay Sakura-chan…" one of them said as they made to leave. "…see you later."

Sakura smiled and waved goodbye at the girls. And then with a sigh and a sweep of her cloak, she swept towards the four upperclassmen. "Tamiya-senpai…" she said as she came within earshot. She crossed her arms and stopped walking as the trio looked at her belligerently. At once their stances grew ever so slightly more respectful.

"What, it's Tohsaka-san." One of them said as Tamiya approached.

"Hey Tohsaka-chan…" he said with a grin. "…can I help you? Or maybe you'd like to go out with me later on? I know a very good ice cream store downtown."

Sakura laughed at that. "You just don't give up do you?" she asked.

"Ha!" Tamiya said as he drew himself up. "Of course not…! As long as I can see a chance, I'll keep trying and trying until I finally get a goal!"

"That's a good attitude…in some ways." Sakura conceded. "But I have to say thank you but no. As I told you last year, I don't have any interest in a romantic relationship any time soon."

Tamiya smiled and rubbed his jaw in a reminiscing fashion. "You have a nasty kick, Tohsaka-chan." He said. "If you ever leave the Calligraphy Club, think about trying out for the soccer team, alright?"

Sakura shrugged, her smile turning apologetic. "Well…" she said. "…as I also said to you last year, there's no law that says women can't be as pushy as men."

Tamiya and his friends laughed and nodded. "True enough…" Tamiya said. "…so, can I help you with something?"

Sakura glanced meaningfully behind them at a sullen Shinji Matou sitting on the ground. "You do realize what position this puts me in, right?" she asked.

Tamiya and his friends glanced at Shinji, and the soccer player sighed. "I figured it might be something like that, Vice Council Chairman." He said. And then he blinked as Sakura leaned in close to whisper into his ear.

"I heard Kana-chan from the classroom next to mine has a crush on you." She said. "You know Kana Mikamiya…? A bit short, but her breasts are supposed to be as big as Matou-senpai's, and unlike Matou-senpai she's a sweet and kind girl. Keep that last part in mind."

Tamiya was struck silent, and his mouth worked silently as his friends gaped at his reaction. Sakura hopped back, her hands clasped behind her waist. "You didn't hear that from me." She said with a wink.

Tamiya coughed and glanced at his friends. "Come on boys…" he said gruffly, looking flushed. "…we've got better things to do and think about than messing with…uh, people like Shinji-kun over there."

Sakura bowed slightly as they passed, and then approached Shinji who was looking very sullenly at her. Well, that wasn't a surprise the boy was _always_ sullen and moody, except around his sister. In that case one could say he was _very_ docile.

 _I can understand that._

"You're very manipulative aren't you?" Shinji asked softly.

"I didn't lie to him." Sakura said. "Kana-chan really does like him. Though if that's to last, he needs to be less, well, a _jerk_ , and if aiming for her instead of me makes him a better person, then I don't see anything wrong with the method."

Shinji scoffed, and ignoring the offered hand from Sakura struggled to his feet. "I don't need your help." He said softly as he passed her. Sakura followed him with her eyes, and then sighed as he entered the main building.

" _Like brother like sister, I guess._ " She thought. As she looked around the school grounds, she spotted a pigtailed girl with violet hair and eyes passing through the entrance. Instinctively, Sakura focused on the girl, and in the next moment their eyes met.

Blue and violet met each other across the intervening space, Rin halting in her steps. After a few moments Sakura nodded at her, but Rin broke the gaze and ignoring Sakura quickly walked towards and into the main building. Sakura followed her with her eyes, and then with a sigh decided to enter the main building as well.

* * *

"Hey Emiya…" Ayako began, staring after Sakura having witnessed the brief staring contest between her and Rin.

"Yeah…?" he replied, also having seen what happened.

"Do you have any clue on what's up between Rin and that Tohsaka girl from the Calligraphy Club…?"

"I asked once." Shirou replied. "We were in the middle of something…"

He paused and glared at Ayako. "No, it was not that kind of something." He said hotly, and Ayako snickered. "Anyway, she became quiet and just stood up and left. She didn't pay any attention to me for the next three days. After that she apologized, said she and Tohsaka went back to when they were kids, and well, they don't get along."

"Well, that's certainly more than what I know, though it doesn't really explain why."

"You asked her too?"

"Yeah…" Ayako admitted. "…it was back in elementary. Tohsaka wasn't in the same school as us, but we ran into her during a field trip. It wasn't bad, but Rin was…very irritable after we spotted Tohsaka. Later on I asked about it, and just like you she ignored me. For a week…after she cooled off she said 'sorry', but that was it."

Ayako shrugged. "Well…" she said. "…I didn't want to press the matter, so here we are."

"What do you make of it?" Shirou asked as they resumed walking towards the main building.

"Well…" Ayako began thoughtfully. "…you know that both Rin and Tohsaka are from rich old families, right?"

"Yeah…"

"I'm sure you can join the dots on your own, Emiya."

"A family feud…?" Shirou asked with a raised eyebrow.

"It makes sense in a strange way, doesn't it?"

Shirou didn't say anything, instead looking back ahead of them, silently wondering on the feud between Rin and Sakura.

* * *

" _Archer…_ " Rin thought. " _…what do you think?_ "

" _About that magus…?_ "

" _There's no way Tohsaka isn't a Master._ " Rin thought. " _She's the last of her family, and the Tohsaka are guaranteed a spot in the contest. She's a magus. She has to be a Master._ "

" _I did not sense the presence of a Servant._ " Archer replied. " _Of course, it could be masking, and if she has either the Caster or Assassin then detection would be impossible. If the former, it would either be because the Caster is using a spell to completely mask its presence, or is hiding back in their base of operations. The latter is more likely given the Caster is the least suited among Servants for direct battle._ "

" _And what of Assassin…?_ "

" _If she has Assassin, then it would have Presence Concealment._ " Archer replied. " _That is rather self-explanatory._ "

" _So it is…_ " Rin agreed. " _…Archer, maintain astral form and keep watch from the rooftop. I doubt Servants or Masters will be moving apart in the daylight but still…_ "

" _I understand._ "

Silence fell across their telepathic link. Rin focused on preparing her things for the morning class, and as she sat down behind her desk she sent out a thought.

" _You have something more to say…?_ "

" _I do. It's a possible course of action for Tohsaka._ "

" _What is it?_ "

" _She didn't bring her Servant with her, and it's not a Caster._ "

" _What?_ "

" _Ever played poker…? It's called a bluff._ "

" _Get to the point._ "

" _She's using herself as bait you see._ " Archer replied. " _As you said, she's the last Tohsaka. It's guaranteed that she's a Master. And that's the whole point. An obvious Master moving around without a Servant protecting her is an inviting target and a trap ready to be sprung._ "

" _I sense an 'or' there._ "

" _The 'or' is that an enemy will see through the trap and ignore it. The trap might not be sprung, but Tohsaka will be able to move freely, despite her apparent vulnerability. And this in turn could be bait in its own way: people will be tempted to think she – Tohsaka – is smugly confident in her deception, and will try to take advantage of it._ "

" _And have the trap sprung on them…_ " Rin agreed. " _…it fits. I should have expected something like this from that poisonous snake._ "

" _I…I see…what should we do, Master?_ "

" _If you want to disarm a trap…_ " Rin thought with a mental smile. " _…sometimes you need to spring it first._ "

" _So we call her bluff then._ "

" _Nothing so predictable…_ " Rin replied. " _…you're an Archer you excel at engaging at range. We'll shadow her movements, and when another Master and Servant spring her trap, we'll have an opportunity to take out multiple birds with one stone._ "

" _I see._ " Archer said with a silent hint of realization. " _You intend to take advantage of her trap. How ruthless of you…_ "

" _Of course I am_." Rin immediately retorted, cutting of his thought in an instant. " _I don't give a damn one way or another about the Holy Grail. I don't need it, not the Grail itself. But I don't plan to lose either. My grandfather can have the Grail, and he can choke on it for all I care. So long as he gives me my freedom afterwards, then I don't give a damn. Remember that, Archer: I'm putting my life, freedom, and future on the line in this war. So be of use to me._ "

Archer laughed, and the sound echoed in her mind. " _From the moment I accepted your call…_ " he said. " _…I have been at your disposal. I will be of use to you, have no fear._ "

" _We'll see about that._ "

* * *

A/N

Rin still pulls an Archer, and Sakura gets a Rider. Rider is not Medusa though, and of course, you are free to guess his identity.

EMIYA of course, is Rin's Servant. Even without a catalyst, they still resonate with each other, though no longer in the sense that both try to do what's right despite all the pressure and expectations on them.

I'll set aside pairings for now, though it'll probably be Rin and Shirou.


	3. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own the Fate franchise it belongs to Kinoko Nasu and Type-Moon.

Different Fates

Chapter 2

The huge doors leading into Kotomine Church slowly swung open, pushed inward by a red-cloaked young woman in a schoolgirl's uniform. They groaned mournfully as they did so, Sakura Tohsaka stepping past and into the church, the wooden doors sliding back and closing behind her.

She walked down the aisle casually, her expression wary, icy blue eyes that would have seemed out of place to any of her friends and admirers sliding across the unlit – apart from the Moonlight passing through the huge, stained glass windows – interior from shadow to shadow. She came to a halt a third of the way from the altar, her eyes sliding up from the altar to the tabernacle and thence up to the large crucifix that dominated the back wall of the church. Coloured Moonlight washed down from either side, giving a measure of life to the images of saints depicted on the stained glass.

Sakura looked around, trying to find any sign of the priest that she was supposed to meet. Granted, it was rather late already but he wasn't just _any_ priest. He was her legal guardian, her mentor, and more than that, he was the _Overseer_ of the Holy Grail War.

He should be around here somewhere, in case a Master had concerns to bring to his attention, or someone came seeking refuge in the church from the contest taking place outside. Assuming of course, they had the _right_ to know: only magi and supernatural characters held that, with ordinary Humans to have their memories wiped or altered, or failing that, executed.

Sakura crossed her arms, letting her fingers tap against an arm for a few moments. She sighed, and lowering her arms, slowly slipped one of them to her waist while raising the other to have her hand scratch at her head.

And then everything went into high speed.

In the blink of an eye Sakura whirled, her eyes cold and hard as she stabbed an electrum-plated dagger at the priest's neck. Or, she tried to.

One of Kirei Kotomine's hands caught her dagger hand by the wrist in a vice-like grip, while the other caught her by the collar and keeping her at a distance, one foot placed forward to keep her from lashing out with her own feet. The stalemate lasted for two seconds, Sakura's dagger shaking in her hand, and then she relaxed, letting the dagger fall to the ground with a clatter.

Kirei's smile widened as he gently threw Sakura forward, the magus agilely hopping back a few steps. "I'm getting closer." Sakura said with a matching smile.

"You're my finest student." Kirei replied smugly.

"I'm your only student." Sakura replied, and Kirei laughed. Using his foot he tossed the dagger up from the ground and caught it, and then holding it by the blade extended it to her.

"True…at present, that is." He admitted.

Sakura took the dagger back, and with a nod sheathed it behind her. As she did so her eyes seemed to shift from icy blue to the cool and friendly shade of blue that her friends and admirers usually saw on her. "Then…" Kirei began. "…what brings you here?"

"Can't I visit my mentor?"

"Not in the middle of this contest, no you cannot." Kirei replied with more than a bit of reproof. "As the Overseer of this contest I am required to maintain neutrality in all matters pertaining to the factions contesting one another in the Holy Grail War. Unless you wish to surrender your place in the contest along with your Servant and then seek sanctuary in my church, I must ask you to depart."

Sakura chuckled. "Well that answers the unanswered question." She said, and Kirei smiled.

"You intended to ask my assistance in this war…?" he asked. "You should have known my answer without coming here."

"You certainly had no problem helping my father ten years ago."

"You know as well as I do that the situations then and now are very different." Kirei said. "I was a Master during the previous war, and my father was the Overseer. I was exempt to the Church's usual neutrality, and even then my father refrained from interfering in the contest beyond his role as the Overseer."

"True…" Sakura conceded with a shrug. "…but I had to ask at least."

She sighed and smiled. "Well then…" Sakura said. "…I guess that's my business here done. Goodnight Kirei and goodbye for now. Hopefully I won't have to come here anytime soon."

Kirei's lips curled with amusement. The tone of her voice and the expression on her face expressed genuine regret for this development, and the hope that she didn't have to face circumstances that would force her to seek refuge with the Holy Church. But the way she worded it was ambiguous. It could be taken at face value, or it could not…as a veiled and insulting response to his declining to assist her.

"Before you leave though…" Kirei said as Sakura walked past. She stopped walking and glanced over a shoulder. "…I have one question."

"Oh? What might that be?"

"As the Overseer it is also a part of my duty to ascertain the worth of any who seek the Grail, originally in light of the destruction and chaos of the Third Holy Grail War, and even more so after the Great Fire ten years ago." Kirei said. He paused theatrically before asking his question. "What is your wish, Sakura Tohsaka?"

Sakura scoffed. "You already know that Kirei." She said as she walked away. "It's the same as it has always been: to go higher."

"Is that so?" Kirei asked with a chuckle. "Then rejoice Sakura Tohsaka, for the opportunity to do so is at hand. And be forewarned: Humanity once sought to scale the Heavens, and for their hubris God cast down the Tower of Babel and scattered Humanity across the lands of the Earth. So know yourself, and take measure."

Sakura glanced at the priest, locking eyes for several moments, and then opening the church doors left. Alone in his church, Kirei stared after her and smiled.

* * *

Morning the following day was bright and sunny. Birds wheeled in the sky and chirped merrily as they searched for food across the suburbs. In the kitchen of the Emiya property however, Rin Matou prepared breakfast in a dark mood. Apparently, a family across the suburbs had been massacred during the previous night, and the police had no leads whatsoever.

However according to the morning news, the weapon used had been rather unusual: a lance or some other long-bladed weapon. Considering what was happening in the city beyond the perception of mere mundane Humans, Rin wasn't particularly un-inclined to be suspicious.

It wasn't that she particularly cared – though the part of her that enjoyed the company of her friends and the relationship beyond mere master and student with Shirou Emiya did – but she had to make sure. If a Servant _was_ behind it, then it was clear that at least one Master out there wouldn't hesitate to get his or her hands dirty to achieve his goal.

She could respect that, though it was still troublesome in the extreme. She'd have to be more careful if she might have to go up against such a ruthless opponent.

 _Of course, if it was_ _ **her**_ _then I wouldn't have held back anyway._

Not that she had any need to follow the example: she had more than enough prana to support her Servant. Though thankfully, the previous night wasn't a 'training night', otherwise her mood would have even been worse, and she wouldn't have come.

No, she'd have spent the time before school calming her body down after such a night's 'exertions', and she wouldn't be able to face Shirou or other people without risking an outburst until lunch time…at least.

And as usual, the thought of her lot in life, no matter how resigned she was to it, embittered her to the point that she brought the knife down much harder than she ought to, reducing the tomato she was cutting to mush instead of slicing it properly. Rin sighed, and closing her eyes centred herself.

Ironically, it was the same way with which she dealt with her 'training'. As her flesh bulged and distorted, as the worms had their way with her, as her grandfather 'within' the worms tinkered with her soul, as her body thrashed and contorted and her voice moaned and screamed and gasped in mindless pain and pleasure, she allowed her mind to sink into a calm, empty nothingness that allowed her to detach herself from everything, allowing her body to work on autopilot.

In that nothingness, she felt nothing. _She was nothing._ And she saw _everything_. She could see the worms, what they were doing, how they were doing it, and _what_ they were doing.

Rin was a magus.

She always had been.

She had been born into a magus household, and from the moment she was old enough to understand the world around her she'd been taught to be one. It was what made the betrayal all the more bitter too: she'd given her all, and it was all as nothing when the time came.

Granted, in this nothingness where she felt nothing she could see the rationale behind Tokiomi Tohsaka's decision. Rin had the Five Elements. Sakura had the Imaginary Numbers. Both were rare talents. But the Five Elements, the status of being an Average One wasn't guaranteed to be passed on to one's descendants.

The Imaginary Numbers however was a _Sorcery Trait_.

All of Sakura's descendants were guaranteed to inherit it. Furthermore, the Tohsaka Clan's Thaumaturgy already had examples in past generations of all five elements, though never all together in one generation. However, it had never attained the Imaginary Numbers…until Sakura was born.

Coupled with her sudden burst of initiative – the betrayal Rin would think when she left the nothingness – in hindsight Tokiomi Tohsaka's decision was the correct one.

But that was all tangential to the fact that Rin Tohsaka was a magus. And in the nothingness she eventually concluded – and remembered when she left it – that 'training' was never training at all. It was cold-blooded torture, nothing more and nothing less, designed purely to keep her down and under her grandfather's thumb.

She also knew that the only reason training was reduced – shortly after the Fourth Holy Grail War ended – to one night per week (more if her grandfather was feeling particularly sadistic or she'd angered him in some way), was because of the Matou Crest. Though calling it a crest was something of a misnomer, given it in no way resembled a proper crest.

More of a colony of worms that resided in her body in a twisted state of symbiosis in fact, and which – through the use of either a single-action or a single-count spell – could be used by her grandfather to force her obedience or affect a variety of effects. And seeing as her grandfather _was_ the worms, she couldn't take control of them, not really.

Rin was a magus.

She could see that she wasn't being trained.

And just like Sakura, she'd eventually gone to train herself on her own by perusing the Matou library. The old man hadn't tried to stop her.

Why should he?

So long as the crest was in her there was absolutely nothing that she could do. And if by some miracle she managed to wrest control of the crest – and in fact Rin knew how she just had no desire to actually _become_ her grandfather by dissolving her soul and replacing it into the crest worms – there was still the final failsafe.

That one worm different from all others, and one that never moved, instead staying where it was: wrapped around her heart. She'd found nothing about it in her references, indirectly making it clear that her grandfather knew about her progress, and that he would suffer no rebellion.

Its position near her heart was warning enough.

Rin didn't want to die. Well, she knew she would have to die eventually, but she wanted to die on her own terms. She wouldn't die like that wretched liar of an uncle she once had, reduced to fodder for the worms.

She wouldn't die like that.

 _She wouldn't._

As she felt Archer's spiritual presence return, Rin returned her mind to reality and began to feel again. " _Well Archer…?_ " she asked through their telepathic bond.

" _It's as we suspected._ " He answered in kind. " _A Servant was behind the serial killing we saw in the news, possibly Lancer or Saber._ "

" _I see._ " Rin replied. " _Do you think Tohsaka could be behind it?_ "

" _It's possible._ " Archer replied cautiously. They'd shadowed Sakura as she took a circuitous route across the city to Kotomine Church to see the Overseer, and then she took another circuitous route back to her home, safe behind her bounded fields.

Rin and Archer had waited and watched until midnight, and then left leaving behind familiars to keep watch. Rin had gone home in a bad mood, clearly frustrated that Sakura had not been attacked by another Master and Servant and an opportunity for a surprise attack had not materialized.

" _Familiars can be deceived more easily than magi._ " He concluded.

" _Indeed…_ " Rin agreed. " _…and it would be just like her too. And yet somehow I think you're giving her the shadow of a doubt. Why is that?_ "

" _We do not know what class her Servant is, or if she's summoned one already._ " Archer replied. " _I'd rather not jump to conclusions based on circumstantial evidence…or because you've pique against her._ "

" _Whatever…_ " Rin thought derisively.

Still, the mention of that poisonous snake irritated her, and she crushed the egg she was holding instead of cleanly cracking it open instead. The cold sliminess of the egg jolted her, all too reminding of the worms' own secretions, and she threw away the ruined egg and washed her hands with unseemly haste.

As the cold water washed over her hands, Rin took solace in the fact that Tohsaka's perfect little heiress with her jewels, silks, calligraphy, and all the other trappings that she stole away wasn't invincible. Oh no…far from it.

She knew that quite well, for the past eight years now in fact.

She'd proven the fact with her own hands.

And this time, she would do it right.

She would finish the job.

And then…

* * *

Sakura Tohsaka stepped out of the crime scene, policemen and forensic examiners going about their business as though she wasn't there. Well, she might as well not be, given she'd placed a compulsion on herself beforehand for mundane Humans to ignore her.

As she walked down the street, away from the crime scene, she dispelled the illusion and pulled out a wrapped sandwich from her bag. " _It seems that either Lancer or Saber…_ " she silently said. " _…or their Masters require additional power._ "

" _Generous, aren't you child?_ " Rider replied.

Sakura smiled, sitting down on a street-side bench to finish her breakfast. " _Oh I know the possibility exists that they simply sought a supplement._ " She replied. " _But being generous costs me nothing._ "

Rider's laughter echoed in her head. " _Indeed it doesn't._ " he agreed. " _With that said, would you go so far?_ "

Sakura didn't reply, instead opting to finish her breakfast first. _"As an absolute last resort…?_ " she asked as she left with Rider's spiritual presence at her side. " _Yes, I would. But only as a matter of last resort: as I told you, I have professional pride._ "

" _Humph…_ " Rider snorted. " _…I suppose I can respect that…or reserve judgment for now. Keep in mind child: victory goes to the one who goes the furthest, one way or another._ "

" _I know._ " Sakura said. " _Still, if I ever have to go that far, make it quick. I've no desire or need for unnecessary torment._ "

" _Understandable…_ " Rider said. " _…and neither do I let's be honest. Leave that to court torturers, warriors fight, kill, and die._ "

Sakura nodded and quickening her pace rushed to the bus stop just in time to catch the bus.

* * *

"Hey, are you alright there?"

Shirou glanced at Rin, and gave a weak smile. "Yeah…somehow…" he said with a sigh. "…it's just that…that news from earlier…"

"The serial killing…?"

"Yeah…" Shirou said, his face darkening. "…I don't how understand how or why someone would do such a thing. Well, I know that things like that happen, and the world isn't a perfect place, but still…! Why? How? What gives them the right to hurt people, and for what? The whole idea is just…!"

Shirou took a deep breath, and glanced at Rin apologetically. "Sorry…" he said. "…I didn't mean to rant like that, it just came out."

Rin shook her head. "No…" she said with a small smile, one that somehow seemed rather bittersweet to Shirou. "…you're right. If more people thought like you do, then the world would probably be a better place."

"Thanks…I think…"

And then surprisingly Rin giggled, dashing forward a bit before turning to him and leaning forward with her hands behind her. "Don't be so suspicious." She said with a rare smile, her eyes alive in a way that they rarely were, usually when they relaxed beside each other after sex. "I was being serious you know, Mr I want to be a Hero of Justice."

Shirou smiled and rubbed the back of his head. "But you still think it's a ridiculous dream don't you?" he asked.

"Of course I do." Rin said, turning to resume walking back to school. "Justice is such a relative term. What is just for some is not just for others. And of course, you can't save everyone. No one can. God probably can…assuming he exists. And as a magus we both know he doesn't, not really."

"Rin…" Shirou said worriedly, dashing up beside her. Rin's smile was gone, and she was back to normal, though she stared down at the ground as she walked.

"If you can't save everyone, then where's the justice for those who couldn't be saved?"

Shirou was silent for several moments. And then with a sigh he looked back at her. "But…?" he asked.

Rin smiled at him, a bittersweet smile typical of the cynical, mercurial girl who was both his teacher and lover. "Remember that foreign song…?" she asked. "Dream the impossible dream. Fight the unbeatable foe. Bear the unbearable sorrow…"

"…and reach for the unreachable star." Shirou concluded. Rin glanced at him in surprise, and he winked at her. "Fuji-nee sang that once at a karaoke a while back. She's a bit tone-deaf – though she was a bit drunk so that's probably up there – but don't tell her that."

Rin stared at him, and then laughed. Shirou shared the laugh, and Rin wrapped an arm around his. "Don't worry…" she said. "…I'll keep your secret. Who knows? I might want something from you eventually."

Shirou laughed again. "I know that my ideals are probably impossible to reach." He admitted. "But, just like the song says, I'll keep dreaming it. I'll keep reaching for it. Because miracles can happen, and the impossible can become possible."

"Do you really think so?" Rin asked. Shirou glanced at her with a smile.

"No, I don't think so." He answered to her surprise. "I know so."

Rin looked taken back at that, this was the first time he'd defended his ideals in such a way, and the quiet conviction in his voice, as though he had seen the certainty with his own eyes, silenced her. A part of her screamed against believing such foolishness, reminding her that hope only led to disappointment, and only resolute and ruthless action could bring about results.

After all, wasn't that why her uncle had died a wretched death?

Wasn't that why people like her grandfather and…Tohsaka succeeded while good people were used, broken, and then thrown away?

And wasn't that why she had been able to destroy the lie eight years ago?

 _No…it's incomplete. Resolute determination brings results, but hope…without hope…then what happens after? Hope is for after the struggle. It's useless for the struggle but after…_

Rin looked up at the clear blue sky, and nodded imperceptibly to herself. " _I will win._ " She promised. " _I'll win the Holy Grail, and hand it over to the worm. With it, he can live forever just like he wants. He won't need me anymore, seeing as my only real purpose for him is as a Master for this war, and or breeding material for his…our wretched family._ "

Rin closed her eyes and sighed.

 _And then…_

They continued to walk in silence, passing fellow students as they approached the gates of Homurabara Academy. As they approached, they saw a familiar pair of students already there. A bespectacled boy waved farewell to Ayako and giving a brief nod and greeting to Shirou who returned it, before rushing off while Ayako waited for them.

"Good morning." She said.

"Good morning." They chorused. Ayako surveyed both of them and then grinned.

"Well, you two look very happy this morning." She remarked. "Did something good happen last night?"

"No." Rin replied before she could. "And even if something of the sort happened, I don't see how it's any of your business."

"Touchy aren't we?" Ayako teased, and then she noticed a trickle of red down Shirou's free arm. "Emiya, your arm…!"

"Hmm…?" he hummed before glancing to where she was pointing. He blinked at the blood and made a sound of surprise. "It must have gotten cut while washing up earlier. Strange, I didn't notice up until now."

"Why am I not surprised?" Rin asked, and Shirou gave her a look. She laughed and pulling out a handkerchief offered it to Shirou who accepted it. Rin blinked and then looked around at the school grounds. There was…something that was off here, and it took a few moments before she realized it.

" _Archer…_ " she began. " _…what do you think?_ "

" _It's as you suspect…_ " he replied. " _…but there's probably more than one of them, apart from myself…_ "

" _What a thing to happen…_ " Rin said, glancing in the direction of the main school building. " _…multiple Servants and Masters in my school. One of them is probably Tohsaka, but the others…who could they be…? Students…? Teachers…?_ "

Rin then cautiously glanced at Shirou.

 _Should I tell him? About the Holy Grail War, that is? He's a magus he has the right to know. And he's associated with me, I wouldn't put it past magi especially that Tohsaka to target him just to get at me. He needs to know. But…how will he take it? And more importantly: what would he do after?_

* * *

" _Times have changed…_ " Rider remarked. " _…but bureaucracy remains the same it seems. Piles of paper and endless procedure barely justified if only to keep things going._ "

" _The price of power on my part…_ " Sakura replied, signing away on backlogged paperwork as per her authority as Student Council Vice Chairman (or Chairwoman). " _…not that the Student Council has much real authority, that is._ "

" _Then why bother?_ "

" _Influence among my peers…_ " Sakura replied. " _…and as my father told me again and again in the past, the Tohsaka have an image to maintain. And so I fulfil my obligation by being a role model and reasonable authority figure for my peers._ "

" _Really…?_ "

Sakura giggled. " _Well…_ " she admitted. " _…that's the original reason, though it is a valid one. If I'm honest, I also enjoy being praised and being popular. That's…_ "

Sakura trailed off, and sighed and shook her head. " _No…_ " she said. " _…it's nothing. Nothing relevant to this discussion, that is._ "

" _Is that so now?_ "

Sakura's reply was cut off as the doors to the Student Council opened and Issei Ryuudo entered. "Good morning Ryuudo-senpai." Sakura greeted him. "You're late. Did something happen?"

"Yeah…" Issei said. "…sorry for being late, but after what happened last night…"

"The serial killing…?"

"Yes." Issei said with a nod. "My father took me aside this morning to give me a talk in light of what happened. Understandable…"

"Yes it is." Sakura agreed. And then she took a deep breath and smiled. "Well, we should be safe in school. Anyway I've managed to get started on the paperwork that need be passed before lunchtime. If we get going…"

"And the other representatives can be bothered to turn up…" Issei grumbled and Sakura laughed.

"Well yes, there's that too." She agreed. "But as I was saying, if we get going we won't have to skip the whole morning and maybe get to class in time for second period or so."

"Right…" Issei said as he sat down and pulled a sheaf of papers towards him. "…let's get this over and done…"

Sakura smiled encouragingly and then turned back to her work. " _Rider…_ " she thought.

" _What?_ "

" _You can sense them, can you?_ "

" _Don't underestimate me child._ "

" _My apologies…_ " Sakura replied with a thoughtful pause afterwards. " _…it's a good thing you decided to come along after we investigated that murder earlier. It'll make things much easier later on._ "

" _Oh? You intend to engage?_ "

" _I don't know if all seven have been summoned yet…_ " she thought. " _…but we might as well get the ball rolling. We'll wait until everyone has left the school grounds, and it's dark enough to keep most eyes turned away. Magic can take care of the rest._ "

" _Finally…_ " Rider said with relish. " _…battle…!_ "

" _Yes._ " Sakura agreed with a glance at the cloth wrapped sword sitting beside her bag. She'd brought it along just in case the serial killing could be traced back and she and Rider could launch a probe after school ended. She couldn't, but seeing as one of her peers was probably a Master (apart from Matou seeing as there was more than one Servant apart from Rider present), it seemed that tonight battle would be joined.

It would be of use one way or another.

* * *

A/N

What, did you expect Rin to be one or two-dimensional? Maybe around and over Sakura yes she is, but she can act normal around Shirou. Just don't poke the berserk buttons: inquire into her past, why she hates Sakura, their shared past, defend Sakura, etc.

Like canon Rin, Sakura has different personas for various people and situations. It goes a bit deeper than canon Rin though. Why…will be revealed eventually. For now suffice to say Sakura is closer to/better gets along with Kirei than canon Rin was or did.

Either this or _Jewels and Crows_ will be updated next, depending on the whims of the muses. Or maybe even _The Lion Unleashed_ …

Finally: what happened eight years ago?


	4. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own the Fate franchise it belongs to Kinoko Nasu and Type-Moon.

Different Fates

Chapter 3

"Shirou…!"

Shirou and Rin stopped in their footsteps, the two magi turning to look in the voice's direction. A few moments later and Fujimura Taiga ran up, and after a few moments catching her breath drew herself up with her usual, mild theatricality. "Um…" Shirou began hesitantly. "…you called Fuji-nee?"

"Hey Shirou…" Taiga said with a pleading tone, clasping her hands together. "…can I ask you for a favour?"

"Or rather…" Ayako Mitsuzuri put in, walking up while carrying her and Taiga's bags. "…could you do us a favour?"

Shirou blinked. "Did something happen?" he asked.

Ayako made a sound of disgust. "Fukuroda-san got caught stealing and they called the school." She said. "Apparently his parents are out of town, and he's got no close relatives here, so…yeah. Fujimura-sensei's been asked to take care of this, and well, seeing as Fukuroda-san skipped club today to go out with his gang, as archery captain I might be needed as a witness."

"So what does that have to do with Shirou?" Rin asked.

Taiga grinned. "Well…" she said, poking her index fingers together. "…today is Ayako-chan's turn to clean the archery club room. But since she's busy, and you're always so helpful Shirou I thought that you might…"

"No thank you." Rin interrupted before grabbing Shirou's arm and beginning to drag him away. "Come on Shirou, let's go home. We've got schoolwork to do."

As Taiga began to splutter in indignation, Shirou pulled himself together, the situation not being helped by Ayako laughing behind a hand at the sight. Pulling his arm free and placing his hands soothingly on Rin's shoulders, Shirou smiled apologetically. "Now, now…" he said. "…it's not like I particularly mind helping out. And besides, it's not like Mitsuzuri and Fuji-nee don't have good reason for asking me like this."

"But…"

"Yeah, we probably have to pull an all-nighter…" Shirou said, transparently looking away as Rin raised an eyebrow. "…but that's life isn't it?"

"Hmm…" Rin said, crossing her arms and leaning closer. Shirou leaned back, and then Rin smiled impishly. "…oh alright…but I'll hold you to that. You finish cleaning up that dingy club room and come home quickly alright? We've got a lot of things to do, and I expect you to hold up until the end, got it?"

"Dingy…?" Taiga protested. "And I don't like that all-nighter talk it sounds suspicious for some reason…ah!"

"Come on sensei…" Ayako said with a grin and a wink (unseen by Taiga) at Rin and Shirou while pushing Taiga along. She tossed Shirou the keys to the clubroom as they passed by. "…it's just your imagination. I mean you did raise Shirou properly right? I'm sure he's a proper and responsible gentleman. And there's the proof: he's helping us out despite the temptation to just go home and relax. And besides, the clubroom _is_ dingy. That's why it needs to get cleaned, isn't it?"

"Well if you put it like that…"

Shirou sighed and shook his head at the conversation between Taiga and Ayako as they wandered off into the afternoon. Beside him Rin stood, her arms still crossed in front of her chest. She sighed. "I can't believe I let myself get bribed with the promise of…well, sex." She muttered with a blush.

Shirou coughed. "You won't back out on me, would you?" Rin asked, turning to him with a raised eyebrow.

Shirou glanced at her. "After we do what we have to do." He said. "We do have schoolwork."

Rin smiled and shrugged. "Oh fine." She said. "I can't deny it though. Alright, but I'll add an incentive, just in case: I'll cook dinner for you. So get home quick…and hopefully that freeloader would stay busy for the rest of the evening. A nice dinner between just the two of us…"

Shirou smiled. "I didn't know you were so romantic." He said, and Rin coughed.

"I'm not." She said before glancing censoriously at him. "Don't you have something to do? Hurry and get on with it, sheesh."

"Yes, yes…" he said. "…see you at home later, Rin."

As Shirou took off to the archery clubroom, Rin waved goodbye and then with a sigh resumed her walk out of Homurabara Academy. " _Archer…_ " she thought. " _…do you have your eyes on her?_ "

" _Yes._ " He replied. " _Apparently Tohsaka intends to return home to hole up behind her family's defences once again._ "

" _Humph_ …" Rin silently scoffed. " _…so that's her strategy? Wear down any enemy that comes with her defences, and if and when they break through crush them in decisive battle?_ "

" _It's a sound strategy._ " Archer pointed out. " _Magi are strongest when they are in their territories, where they have all their resources available and their mysteries are at their strongest. And elastic defence is a proven strategy: just look at the Eastern Front in World War II._ "

" _I wouldn't know about World War II or the Eastern Front or whatnot._ " Rin snapped. " _Still, as much as it pains me to admit it, her strategy is a sound one. And I'm not falling for it._ "

" _Have you so little faith in my talents?_ "

" _On the contrary…_ " Rin replied sweetly. " _…you are the best suited for breaking through her defences without wearing yourself out, as you are an Archer. A long-range attack with a Noble Phantasm should rip through her defences like a hot knife through butter._ "

" _True…_ " Archer conceded. " _…but I imagine any Servant with the right abilities and Noble Phantasms would do just as well. And there's also the danger of collateral damage to deal with, seeing as if her defences are as formidable as they appear, I might have to use anti-fortress Noble Phantasms against them. Also, if her Servant is Caster, even a long-range attack might not work._ "

" _Fair enough on all counts…_ " Rin conceded. " _…I already know all that though. That's why we'll follow our strategy from before. Keep an eye on her, and if she leaves her defences and is attacked, warn me. We'll decide then whether to try and take out multiple enemies with a long-range attack._ "

" _I understand my Master._ " Archer replied. There was a pregnant pause. " _You won't be joining me tonight?_ "

" _I have to cook dinner for a certain loveable idiot._ "

Archer wisely chose not to pry.

* * *

" _Matou's Servant has taken the decoy_." Rider remarked through his telepathic link with Sakura.

" _My Sorcery Trait is the Imaginary Numbers._ " Sakura replied in kind. She was in the school's roof house leaning against a wall while waiting for night to fall. " _The concept behind it is 'that which is possible but not on the physical plane'. As a result my illusions are very good._ "

Sakura glanced to one side as Rider's astral form phased through one wall of the roof house. The Servant glanced at the sword belted at Sakura's waist. " _And such deceptive behaviour is becoming of a warrior…?_ " he asked.

Sakura smiled her usual sweet smile, but the words were anything but sweet. " _The art of war is based on deception._ " She quoted, and Rider laughed.

" _Well said…_ " he said. " _…you prove yourself more and more interesting with every passing moment, child._ "

 _Metal flashed and debris flew through the air as the halberd slammed deep into the ground, where Sakura had been standing a moment earlier. The girl had danced to one side, and it took only a split second for Rider to follow through, the halberd rising to split her open._

 _It didn't connect._

 _Sparks flashed as Muramasa's edge ground against the bronze Noble Phantasm's and then with a bright shower of sparks Sakura pulled her sword clear. Turning full circle, she parried another blow and used the force to jump back, landing in a crouch with Muramasa held in a guarding position before her._

 _The seconds passed. And the Rider burst out laughing. "For a moment it seemed that a weakling girl child stood before this great warrior." He boomed. "It seems that you know a few tricks child, but will they be enough?"_

" _Who knows?" Sakura asked, not relaxing a bit. "This war will prove that."_

 _Rider and Sakura locked eyes, and then Rider smiled and nodded slowly. "Indeed…" he finally said. "…we shall see child, whether or not your spirit and skill is genuine, or you are just a foolish little girl playing with a sword. But for the present, this great warrior will submit to your banner, child."_

Sakura smiled as she remembered the impromptu 'test' of her worth that Rider gave her during the summoning a few days ago. She'd passed that test…but the next battle would undoubtedly be another test as far as the Servant was concerned.

And she had no intention of failing it. " _The other Servant is waiting, probably for the same thing we are: for the darkness of night to shroud the battlefield, and for everyone else to vacate the battleground._ " She said, sliding down to sit on the ground and laying her sword crosswise over her lap. " _And when that time comes, let us reward his patience._ "

* * *

"Alright…!" Shirou cheered as he pushed the wipe cloth hard with both hands over the clubroom floor. Once in one direction, and then once again in the opposite direction…and after rinsing the wipe cloth in a bucket of water he straightened and wiped at his forehead. He glanced at a window, and coming closer looked out at the school grounds and sky beyond.

"The Moon's gotten high." He said softly. He then glanced at a clock on the wall, and sighed. "Rin's probably getting impatient."

Chuckling at the thought, Shirou glanced around the archery clubroom. The floor had been wiped, equipment stashed and tallied, trash taken out, clutter sorted out…everything that needed to be done had been done it seemed. Shirou nodded in satisfaction.

"Right then…" he said, going back to the bucket. "…all I have to do is fix up the cleaning stuff, and I'm good to go."

Whistling a tune as he went along, Shirou began to pack up…while on the school's roof, Sakura Tohsaka looked out over the school and the suburbs beyond, the evening breeze blowing through her long dark hair and the red cloak draped over her shoulders. A sword hung at her waist, and her arms were crossed over her chest.

And then ever so slightly the atmosphere shifted, and narrowing her eyes glanced over a shoulder. "You certainly took your time, enemy Servant." She said.

The enemy Servant was a tall man in a blue jumpsuit trimmed in silver, the red of his eyes a stark contrast to the blue of his hair. "Well…" he said with a savage grin. "…I had to make sure you weren't going to back out at the last minute girl."

Sakura smiled and nodded. "Fair enough…" she conceded. "…but even if I would have wanted to back out, I doubt my Servant would have accepted my decision."

The Servant laughed. "Sounds like a nice guy…" he said. He held out his hand and with a flare of prana a crimson lance appeared in his hand. "…I don't think I really need to tell you what my class is, do I?"

"Not really, no…" Sakura said, hopping back to balance on the rail as Lancer jumped down from the stair house to step on the rooftop itself. "…you're the Servant Lancer."

"Correct…" Lancer said, falling into a stance. "…so who's your Servant girl?"

"Who knows?" Sakura replied with a smile. And then spreading her arms, she pushed off the railing to Lancer's surprise, apparently falling to her death. But magi were hardly the kind of people to conform to expectations.

As she fell, Sakura twisted in mid-air, prana flowing through her circuits to reinforce her entire body. Now facing forward, she landed with the crack of breaking rock, but even with reinforcement her inertia forced her to her knees and to grit her teeth from the strain.

There was a flash of blue and Lancer was beside her, his lance raised and already moving to strike at her collar. It didn't connect.

In the blink of an eye Rider materialized, golden bracers gleaming around his wrists. One arm turned Lancer's stroke, and Rider drove a powerful kick into Lancer's torso. The Knight of the Lance was already leaping back, avoiding injury from a blow from a giant like Rider, but even then the kick knocked the wind from him even as it hurled him away.

"The Servant is mine." Rider growled.

"Of course…" Sakura said and ran a hand through her hair. "…but if his Master is nearby then he or she is mine."

Rider grunted, and then with a flash of gold summoned his halberd in his hands. He then leaped forward, moving to intercept a recovered Lancer who was angrily charging in. The lance and the halberd met by the head, crossing and the uncrossing before repeating, the two Servants preferring to use their weapons' range to the greatest extent as opposed to closing in.

"Just what's your class anyway?" Lancer growled, his lance stabbing forward in crimson flashes as he tried to punch through the enemy's guard. However – and he would never admit it aloud – his opponent was proving good enough to keep with him, if not more.

Well, that wasn't entirely true. The enemy Servant was clearly stronger if the impacts with his lance were any indication, but Lancer was faster and more agile by half. This allowed him to quickly regain the initiative, but the enemy was good, and his guard was proving…difficult. And unable to gain the initiative, the enemy resorted to reactive defence, using his superior strength to the fullest to throw Lancer ever so slightly off-balance with every turned blow, and then counterattacking in the aftermath, forcing him back and keeping him from launching sustained attacks.

Rider refused to answer, and Lancer grinned as he avoiding a sweep of the halberd that might have taken his head. He stabbed with his lance, only for Rider to turn the attack aside and stabbing forward with his halberd's bronze tip. "I can take a guess though." Lancer remarked as he danced back. "Let's see…well you can't be Archer or Saber, and if you're Caster or Assassin I'll eat dog meat. You're too calm to be Berserker, and since I'm the Lancer, I guess that makes you Rider. Or am I wrong?"

"Warriors need not be limited to a single weapon." Rider replied as he turned a series of attacks and counterattacked, briefly pressing Lancer before he could properly open the distance. "They may have a preferred weapon, but an archer may have some skill with the sword to defend himself with if need be. Likewise, a Saber may have some skill with the bow should the need arise."

"Nicely done…" Lancer complemented him. "…so which are you? Saber…? Archer…? Rider…?"

Rider's response was a wide sweep of his weapon that violently displaced the air in front of him, the force staggering Lancer and forcing him back several steps. And then with a roar he brought his weapon down, breaking the ground and forcing Lancer to retreat with a curse. The curse died on his lips as Rider burst out of the cloud, holding a sword instead of the halberd from before.

"What the…?" Lancer barely had time to say as Rider forced his lance to one side. And then he head-butted Lancer with the crack of breaking bone. And then Rider back-swung his sword in a gleaming arc.

Sakura for her part stood her ground, one hand on her sword's pommel as she watched the two Servants fight. At the same time she kept her senses tuned for any sign of active prana use beyond the two Servants fighting before her that might indicate the presence of Lancer's Master.

Assuming they were there of course. Magi being magi, there was more than a fair chance that he or she would be safely hiding in his or her hideout waiting for victory to be brought back with no risk to their person.

And even if he or she was here, considering her own age and relative lack of experience Sakura knew she had a good chance of missing them. Of course, that would also depend on the difference of skill between them. Sakura did after all have the Imaginary Numbers, which gave her an edge when it came to what was unreal and intangible even by magus standards.

Concealment spells fell into such categories.

* * *

As Sakura watched the battle progress, an alarmed Shirou Emiya rushed out of the clubroom, drawn by the sounds of battle. His eyes widened at the sight that met him, especially by the weapons carried by the Servants.

… _murdered…no leads…spear or some other long-bladed weapon…_

But even as suspicion was roused, Shirou could feel the killing intent saturating the air. If he drew attention to himself, and probably regardless of whether his suspicions were true or false, the…beings fighting before the school would probably kill him with batting an eye.

He couldn't handle this on his own.

He needed help.

Rin's family was an old family of magi. They would probably know how to deal with this.

Rin…

She was waiting for him, in his home.

He couldn't die here.

Shirou carefully, slowly, and silently stepped back into the club room, and began to gather his things. Unknown to him, he'd been spotted.

Afterimages flickering behind her and divots marking her passage, Sakura flashed to the entrance of the clubroom. Shirou gasped as Sakura appeared in front of him, a finger raised and glowing darkly with prana. A Finn shot was fired, landing in front of Shirou's feet and throwing him back with a cry into the clubroom.

Sakura blinked, and then tilted her head like a bird. And then recognition dawned on her face. "Emiya-senpai…?" she asked, and then she glanced at the clubroom beyond. Recognition dawned and she sighed. "Cleaning up after others again…?"

"W-what's wrong with that?" Shirou burst out, somehow offended by the exasperated tone of Sakura's voice. He then glanced sharply at the window at a particularly loud explosion and Lancer's angry shouts.

"Nothing really…" Sakura said. "…it's just that, you might be too nice for your own good. People take advantage of people like you."

"I cleaned the clubroom because Fuji-nee and Mitsuzuri had something to attend to, and…"

"Mitsuzuri-senpai had to deal with one of our schoolmates who got caught stealing with his gang." Sakura interrupted him with a step back and a glance at the battle. Lancer and Rider were going all out, the two Servants a blur of red, blue, silver and gold, sparks and debris flying as arcs and streaks of red and gold met, crossed and uncrossed, cutting through the air and the ground alike with ease. "I know. I'm Council Vice-Chairwoman, remember?"

"Yeah, I voted for you."

"You did…?" Sakura said in surprise before smiling. "Well I'm glad to have made an impression that you'd actually vote for me."

"You had the qualifications for it, of showed them better than the other candidates did." Shirou said and getting to his feet to Sakura's raised eyebrow. "So you deserved my vote more than they did. Anyway, what the hell's going on outside? No never mind that, earlier you…"

"Ah yes that…" Sakura interrupted with a nod. "…and _that_ …well, I'll have to apologize for Matou-senpai for…doing such to her boyfriend, but I'll have you forget what you saw just now."

"Forget…?" Shirou echoed. "Hey wait…!"

"Thanks for the vote and the complement." Sakura said with a wave of her hand and a flare of prana, her crest flashing once under her sleeve. "I mean it, really. But I can't have you remembering this and risk blabbing about it. It won't hurt, and you'll wake up in an hour or so."

As Sakura lowered her arm and began to turn away Shirou drunkenly staggered back, shaking his head to try and clear it. Prana flared spasmodically through his circuits, trying and barely succeeding to purge it of foreign prana.

"Y-you're a magus too?"

Probably not the best thing to say, Shirou reflected in hindsight. Sakura turned back to him, eyes wide in shock and surprise, and then narrowing in alarmed resolve. Her body tensed, cloak furled back as her hands dropped to the katana sheathed at her waist.

"Well this is unexpected." Sakura remarked. "You are Lancer's Master?"

"Master…? Lancer…?" Shirou echoed, holding out a hand to keep Sakura calm. The Sakura that was standing in front of him looked very different from the one that walked around at school. Her eyes, normally cool and friendly, had turned cold and hard, and the way she held herself was not that of the gentle, understanding girl that held the trust and respect of most of their peers. "I don't know anything about that, or what's going on outside!"

"Really…?" Sakura remarked, stepping inside the clubroom. She moved in a circle around Shirou, keeping her eyes on him and him doing likewise for her. "And how do I know you're telling the truth?"

Shirou bit back a retort that probably wouldn't help, and briefly looking away turned back to her. "You'll just have to trust me." He said.

Sakura chuckled. "In the world of the magi…" she said. "…trust is a very convenient thing. I know that quite well…yes…so very well…"

Sakura's words turned soft at that, her tone bitter and weary, but the moment passed. "I swear…" Shirou said. "…I don't really know about Masters or Lancers or whatnot! Rin might, but she never told me anything about that!"

"Oh?" Sakura said, the two of them finally coming full circle. "She knows you're a magus?"

"Well yeah, she's well, well she's my master." Shirou said uncomfortably, probably due to how…unprofessional it was for master and student to be in a relationship with each other. "Is that what you meant by 'Master' earlier?"

"No, it's not." Sakura said with her eyes narrowed in thought. "You are Matou-senpai's apprentice?"

"Yeah…is that a problem?"

Sakura didn't reply. It certainly wasn't out of the question that a Matou apprentice would be chosen as a Master by the Grail, though it wasn't very probable as outside of the three founding families and the Association's representative the Grail selected Masters by random. Though if he was allied with Rin…why wasn't she here?

Or was she nearby and preparing a trap of some sort?

Sakura knew better than to underestimate her, simply because her Imaginary Numbers gave her an affinity for deception and concealment by means of magic. Not after what happened eight years ago.

And she would never forget.

Or…perhaps Emiya really was telling the truth? He seemed genuinely confused about the whole situation, and even if he was the Matou apprentice, it was very improbable for him to have gotten command spells. It was too much of a good thing for the Matou Clan.

Though…in that case the same could be said for her family, given Kirei had been a Master in the previous war, _and_ was also her father's apprentice.

If the same went for Emiya and Rin, then…

Still…

"Emiya-senpai…" Sakura said, making her decision. "…slowly, and I mean _slowly_ , pull up your sleeves. And don't say a word: it'll take more than a single-action concealment spell to fool me, and if you even _begin_ to say something or I feel the _slightest_ burst of prana, I _will_ perform _battojutsu_ on you."

Shirou scowled at her words, but did as asked. Slowly he peeled back his sleeves, and holding his arms up in the air showcased them for Sakura to see. "Reveal your secret." Sakura said, cycling prana through her crest to strengthen her mystery, but when there was no effect she sighed and relaxed ever so slightly.

At her nod, Shirou began to fix his sleeves. "You're rather eager to kill." He observed coldly.

"Magi walk with death." Sakura replied. "Sorry, I had to make sure."

Shirou glanced at her piercingly, and she met his gaze fearlessly. The gaze was held, and then with a sigh Shirou nodded as he decided to accept her apology at face value. "Apology accepted…" he said.

Sakura smiled, seemingly returning to the sweet and gentle girl admired by the school. There was something disturbing at the way she could change her character so easily though, and at that moment in the twilight of the clubroom Shirou noticed that Sakura and Rin seemed…similar in some ways.

 _It's probably just a trick of the light._

 _Either that or it's the fact they can change their characters so easily. An angry Rin is very different from her normal self, or when she's…opened herself up as happens so rarely or after sex._

Shirou sighed as he remembered what Sakura said just now. " _Magi walk with death._ " He thought. " _With ideals or principles like that, no wonder magi like Rin and Sakura can change characters so easily. There's their character as magi, and there's the character they show the world._ "

"That was a surprisingly deep sigh." Sakura observed. "Is something wrong Emiya-senpai?"

"No, it's nothing." He said. "I was just thinking on what you said just now: magi walk with death."

"Didn't Matou-senpai teach you that?" Sakura asked. "Or the reasoning and meaning behind it?"

"She did." Shirou replied. "It just didn't hit home until now."

"I see." Sakura said before beginning to walk away.

"Aren't you afraid I might attack you in the back?" Shirou asked, surprising even himself. "You obviously don't trust me yet, at least not completely."

"My _battojutsu_ is fast." Sakura remarked over a shoulder, winking and then smiling at him. "I'll accept the challenge. And I was serious with that apology earlier you know."

Sakura paused and sighed as Shirou looked a bit shamefaced, scratching the back of his head. "Well, we'll talk some more later." She said. "Come along at the very least let's watch this battle come to an end together. As a magus, you have the right to see, know, and remember. So see, Emiya-senpai."

* * *

A/N

Finn shot is a more powerful form of Gandr. Properly-speaking Gandr is the form of the spell which has no physical effect apart from cursing the target with reduced vitality (basically they get very sick/feel very bad), but Finn combines the curse with physical damage.

Originally I planned to have Sakura have a Han Dynasty _jian_. And then I remembered that the older things get, the more powerful they become. And the Han Dynasty was Rome's counterpart in the Orient. So I gave her a _Muramasa_ instead. _Muramasa_ : swords forged in the _Muramasa_ School of the 16th Century, and known for their sharpness and endurance. In folklore they were also attributed to have murderous and bloodthirsty spirits.

So boy meets girl…what's the worst that could possibly happen?


	5. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own the Fate franchise it belongs to Kinoko Nasu and Type-Moon.

Different Fates

Chapter 4

With a roar Lancer threw himself into a flying kick against Rider, his crimson lance stabbing in alongside him. With a single step Rider threw off the other Servant's aim, the golden halberd in his hands swinging up in a gleaming arc. Lancer blocked and was thrown a good distance, and with the ground breaking beneath his feet Rider charged in.

"God Force…!" he roared, his form blazing with prana as he invoked his Noble Phantasm.

" _Lu Bu…?_ " Lancer thought in dismay as he recognized the Servant through his Noble Phantasm. And understandably so: there were few Heroic Spirits who could match his skill with the lance, such as Scathach, Longinus, and Diarmuid Ua Dhuibne among others. And unfortunately, Lu Bu was also included in that category.

 _Should I be thankful he's not mounted right now?_

Rider pressed Lancer hard with God Force swinging in great, golden arcs that sent sparks flying every time Gae Bolg turned Rider's attacks. But even so, Lancer matched Rider blow for blow, every step back with every blow goading Rider on into expending his strength.

Finally, Lancer feinted and then followed-through, God Force's head smashing into the ground as Lancer jumped up and over Rider. Gae Bolg rose in a crimson arc, only for God Force to turn the attack aside as Rider turned with surprising speed, God Force breaking the ground as it carved itself free and rose to meet Gae Bolg.

Undeterred, Lancer pressed the offensive, stabbing and swinging Gae Bolg in circular motions to try and force open Rider's guard. One attack punched through, barely turned aside by Rider's chest armour as the Servant stabbed God Force forward.

Lancer sidestepped, and was nearly blindsided when the halberd swept sideways. He dodged back, Rider moving after him. He attacked several times before feinting, and then parrying Lancer's blow smashed Gae Bolg aside into the ground. And then he landed a solid kick on Lancer's torso, the breath erupting explosively from the blue-clad Servant's mouth as he was sent flying clear across the battlefield.

Roaring in triumph, Rider switched God Force into its hammer form, leaping up with the weapon raised over his head, and brought it down on Lancer as he shook his head clear while half-lying on the ground.

A massive explosion blew dust and debris out over the school grounds, blowing in several windows and buffeting Sakura and Shirou from where they watched the battle. Neither of them flinched back, though they did shield their eyes from the blast.

Lancer however, was not finished. He was however, _very angry_. He had barely avoided getting crushed by Rider's hammer, instead dashing forward at the last second and using the explosion behind him to boost his speed and reopen the distance between him and Rider.

This was _not_ supposed to happen. Lu Bu was _good_ , but to be beaten at his own specialty…? Unacceptable…!

But even as Lancer met Rider's renewed onslaught, he felt his telepathic link with his Master go active. " _Lancer…_ " the man's voice echoed in his head. " _…withdraw at once._ "

" _Screw that…! I'm not finished here!_ "

And then he felt a command spell being applied to his utter rage and frustration. Worse yet, he knew his Master had more than just the three command spells normally allotted, so even this one _and_ the command spell applied before when he 'stole' Lancer from his original Master wouldn't really deprive the bastard much. " _I don't care._ " The man said, his voice dripping with amusement at Lancer's sentiments. " _Rider's identity is exposed, and that is enough. There's no need for you to expose yourself just yet._ "

Lancer blocked two blows from Rider's halberd, kicking out and pushing himself off Rider's arm. The other Servant was not amused being used as a jumping board and with a roar charged in. God Force swung several times, Lancer dodging most of them but turning the few that managed to get through.

" _You already knew who Rider was!_ "

" _So I did. But other Masters are watching, and now they know._ "

" _Just what the hell are you plotting, you fake priest?_ "

" _I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about._ "

" _Liar…! Why else would you be satisfied with exposing your student's Servant's true identity?_ "

Laughter silently echoed through Lancer's head. Lancer growled angrily as he feinted and jumped over Rider's strike, twisting in mid-air to land a kick on Rider's face. " _If she can't handle having her Servant exposed…_ " his Master said as an enraged Rider counterattacked, pummelling Lancer with powerful blows that staggered the lighter Servant with every turned blow. " _…then she's not worthy of the Holy Grail. Now, obey my command._ "

Growling in frustration, Lancer blocked and turned God Force to the side before letting the compulsion of the command spell to take over. He sent a blast of loathing at his Master as he did so, his frustration rising even further as his Master responded with further amusement.

Flashing past Rider he jumped into the sky, and over the school's outer walls. " **COWARD** …!" Rider roared after him, but he was gone. Enraged, Rider lashed out with his halberd, smashing the ground nearby. For several long moments afterwards he just stood there, breathing heavily as he fought to control his temper.

And then with an especially deep breath, he turned his head to look at his Master and her…guest. Sakura bowed in respect, and then after a few tense moments glanced to one side to see Shirou just staring at Rider. Her lips thinning with displeasure, she grabbed his attention by tugging on his sleeve, and gestured for him to follow suit.

Shirou blinked and reluctantly did so. Rider however just snorted and shook his head at the sight.

* * *

"So to sum things up…" Shirou began to say. He was standing with Sakura in the middle of the ruins of the quadrangle, the senior magus having placed symmetrical quartz crystals in a geometric pattern around the quadrangle, each of them marked with a few drops of Sakura's blood. Before that she'd fixed what damage had been left on the archery clubroom floor by her Finn shot, then the school's broken windows, and finally left the ruined quadrangle for last.

"…Fuyuki City is the site of a massive Grand Ritual called the Holy Grail War involving seven magi known as 'Masters' who summon seven Heroic Spirits as 'Servants' and then fight it out for a chance to offer a wish to the Holy Grail?"

"Yes."

"And this is the fifth time the ritual has been held."

"That is correct senpai."

"Also, this Holy Grail isn't actually the real thing which is why the Holy Church lets magi fight for it. Also, in order to limit collateral damage – which still happens regardless – they assign a neutral 'overseer' to regulate the contest. The Overseer also provides sanctuary to defeated Masters, provided they can make it to Kotomine Church before they get killed."

"That is also correct."

Shirou was silent, thinking over everything Sakura had told him about the Holy Grail War. Sakura took the opportunity to finish repairs, and held out a hand over a nearby crystal. "Gems of the Earth which partook of my essence…" She said as the crystal and others like it glowed in sympathy. "…fulfil your purpose and restore that which has been damaged."

The crystals flashed and then _splintered_ into paper-thin wafers that spread out over the ruins. They flashed once and then vanished, leaving undamaged concrete behind. "That's pretty amazing." Shirou observed.

Sakura flashed him a smile. "I'm flattered." She said. "But it's rather basic really, no reason to praise me over."

"Is that so?" Shirou replied, and Sakura raised an eyebrow.

"Matou-senpai hasn't shown you this much?" she asked.

"No." Shirou said with a shake of his head.

Sakura hummed in response, but in the end decided to simply shrug. "As I said it's basic." She said. "But it's not my place to pry into other magi's mysteries. You and she probably do follow different magical systems after all."

"Yeah, let's go with that." Shirou said, remembering Rin telling him _not_ to tell _anyone_ about his incredibly rare aligned origin and elemental affinity. If word got out, Shirou might consider it lucky if he was just bound by geis. At worst, he'd find himself strapped to an operating table as a Human lab rat.

Sakura glanced curiously at him but decided to let it go. "About Rin though…" Shirou eventually said. "…is she involved in this?"

"Probably…" Sakura replied. "…the three founding families – Matou, Einzbern, and Tohsaka – are all guaranteed Masters in the contest. Apart from her, the only other Matou magus is her grandfather. It's possible he's the Master…"

Sakura trailed off, disturbed at the prospect of facing Zouken Matou in battle. She'd met only him twice before: the first when Zouken had visited her father shortly before the beginning of the Fourth Holy Grail War, and again when he apologized in person for the incident eight years ago.

Each and every time, the stooped, aging, grey-skinned and black-eyed magus sent a shiver up her spine. It wasn't just that older magi were usually more powerful than most, there was also something…elusive and dangerous about the magus. And a strange sensation that somehow, she should consider herself fortunate that the succession was changed in her favour.

 _You don't know anything Sakura. Nothing…_ _ **NOTHING**_ _…!_

Memories and phantom pain briefly flickered through, and Sakura supressed a shudder and the urge to grab _Muramasa_ 's hilt for reassurance. Instead she took a deep breath and concentrated on Shirou. "I'm surprised she hasn't told you about this." She said. "But then again, she didn't tell me she had an apprentice. A massive breach of protocol, but then again I'm not surprised. She hates me after all."

Shirou looked curious and apprehensive about that. "Why exactly is it a breach of protocol?" he asked. "It's not like you're the Supervisor of this Territory."

Sakura silently stared at him, and Shirou gaped as the point dropped home. "You are…?" he said in shock. "But I thought…the Overseer…"

"The Overseer's role is to supervise the conflict, nothing more and nothing less." Sakura said while pinching the bridge of her nose. "However Fuyuki City is Association Territory, under my family's supervision. It was our contribution – the spiritual energies and the location both – to the creation of the Holy Grail of Fuyuki, just as the Master-Servant System was for the Matou, and the Grail's system for the Einzbern."

Sakura took a deep breath. "I can accept Matou-senpai not telling me about you." She said, sounding less like her and very much like an annoyed Rin to Shirou's surprise. "A secret apprentice can be a useful asset after all."

 _So long as you don't get caught, that's the unspoken rule about secret apprentices when you're lodging in another magus' territory. And I'm sure other, more ruthless magi in a supervisor's position would respond with little or no restraint at such an insult._

"I cannot however accept that she left you deliberately ignorant of proper authority." Sakura said. "And also, as your master she has responsibility for your magical safety. Something as dangerous as the Holy Grail War…for you to be ignorant of it…"

Sakura trailed off, but it was clear she was far from completely happy. Shirou hesitated before asking a question. "What…what will you do about it?" he asked.

Sakura glanced at him. "Other…less tolerant magi would probably expel her by force from the territory." She said. "Others might even be more…forceful, and exact material reparation. But don't worry senpai. I won't go that far."

 _Apart from the fact that even with Kirei's help exacting punitive measures against Zouken isn't something I'm capable of, Matou-senpai isn't the head of her family. It wouldn't be very fair to make her family pay her mistake. I also…_

Sakura shook her head and sighed. "No…" she said. "…I'll satisfy myself with an official reprimand. It's nothing too serious, just some loss of face that's all."

"I see." Shirou said with a sigh of relief. "I was worried Rin might get into a lot of trouble over this."

Beating wings caught his attention then, and he looked up to see a sparrow winging down to land on Sakura's arm. "A familiar…?" he asked.

"Yes." Sakura confirmed. "As a magus you have the right to know about the Holy Grail War. However, as a magus you are also a…potential threat, and other Masters might try to eliminate you for it."

"What do you mean I'm a potential threat?" Shirou demanded. "I don't…"

"You're a magus." Sakura interrupted. "If you can take a Master's – fallen or not – command spells then you can become a Master by contracting with their Servant or another Servant that has lost its Master. Do you understand?"

Shirou nodded with a grim expression on his face. "Yes, I understand." He said, and Sakura smiled, looking like herself again.

"What's wrong senpai?" she asked. "Go ahead and say what's on your mind."

"This whole thing is wrong." Shirou replied. "If the Holy Grail is truly something so miraculous, even if it isn't the real thing, then its power should be shared by everyone. But I understand why that isn't the case: it needs the energy of fallen Servants to work, doesn't it?"

Sakura nodded, and Shirou snorted. "Something that feeds off blood and war…" he said angrily. "…something that chooses who gets wishes through violence…that's just wrong."

Sakura's face softened and she looked away. "Yes, I suppose it is." She replied. "But…can you really not participate in this contest, when you risk someone else, someone unscrupulous getting their hands on the Grail?"

"And what is your wish, Tohsaka?" Shirou asked, and Sakura's eyes slid coolly in his direction. Shirou blinked and coughed. "Sorry, that came out wrong. I meant…"

"Rest assured I don't plan on throwing the world into chaos." Sakura replied neutrally. "Suffice to say that fulfilling my family's legacy is enough."

"I see." Shirou said, and Sakura shook her head. The sparrow on her arm tilted its head and then jumped to Shirou's shoulder.

"Here…" Sakura said. "…I'll have my familiar accompany you home to show anyone who's watching that I guarantee you safe passage. I strongly suggest though, that you discuss this matter with Matou-senpai in detail as soon as possible. Also as you are her apprentice, starting tomorrow outside of ordinary existences and until this contest ends, we are enemies, senpai. Good night, Emiya-senpai, and have a safe trip."

Sakura stepped aside, and gestured invitingly to the school entrance in the distance. Shirou stared at her for a few moments, and then glanced at the bird on his arm. And then he sighed and nodded. "Thanks, Tohsaka." He said as he walked past her.

"You are welcome." Sakura replied with a smile, and looking after him until he'd left the school grounds. She then took a deep breath, and sent a mental command to one of her birds aloft.

 _Now then…let's go talk to my sister, shall we?_

* * *

Familiars: these were magical constructs usually made from the bodies of dead animals, which are given a semblance of life by contracting them with a magus. So long as they receive a steady supply of prana, they can exist indefinitely. Furthermore, they may be modified as needed or desired by the magus in question.

In return, they are transformed into extensions of the magus which made them, for instance allowing him to use their senses while remaining in a secure location, or even to cast spells through them. These are just some of the uses familiars can be used for.

Familiars can also be made from living beings, or even Humans. However the former is significantly dangerous, as living familiars tend to mutate over time, and in a monstrous fashion. And in the latter case, even the amoral magi find using Humans as familiars to be distasteful, not to mention impractical, as they require enormous amounts of prana – the more complex the familiar the more prana is required to maintain it – to support.

Sakura Tohsaka's familiars were mostly birds, which had their hearts surgically-removed and replaced with gems. Their blood is also drained in the familiar construction process, and replaced with an alchemical elixir derived from Sakura's own blood.

Several such familiars now responded to their mistress' command, winging together across the city to the pre-designated rendezvous point. From there, the assembled wing of familiars winged towards the northern suburbs, where Rin Matou was waiting for her apprentice in the Emiya property, her location ascertained by a familiar that had followed her after she had left Homurabara Academy.

Sakura had considered using said familiar to deliver her message. But considering the volatile nature of the relationship between her and Rin, she decided to delay until more of her familiars had arrived. By then, thirty minutes had passed since Shirou had left Homurabara Academy.

* * *

Rin jolted awake, blinking and shaking her head clear of sleep as the bounded fields around the Emiya property warned her of an intrusion. " _Is it Shirou?_ " she asked herself. The answer was no: the presence was behind her, to the veranda, and unless he wanted to surprise her for some reason – which would be most unlike him – there was no reason for him to be coming from that direction. And of course, there was no way the bounded fields would see their master's arrival as an 'intrusion'.

 _Hostiles…and Archer is still keeping an eye on Tohsaka._

The thought burned away the last dregs of sleep, and she opened her circuits (and stirring up the crest worms in the process) while readying her command spells just in case. She turned her head, purple eyes widening and narrowing in quick succession at the sight that met her.

"Good evening…" Sakura said with a bow and a smile. "…magus Matou, I have certain matters of importance to discuss with you. This won't…"

Rin didn't bother to think. That… _snake_ , had dared to enter her apprentice's – _her lover's –_ home uninvited. And that was enough.

 _How dare she?_

Levelling a hand in Sakura's direction, Rin fired a blast of red-black lightning. It would have blown her off her feet, and inflicted first to second-degree burns on exposed skin depending on length of exposure. And more if the exposure was sustained.

She knew that quite well. She'd seen it before after all.

Sakura dodged the blast, jumping over it and twisting in the air to land to one side. "I'm not here to fight Matou." She said, but Rin ignored her. Getting to her feet and turning, Rin fired blast after blast with both hands, Sakura jumping and dancing back and forth across the courtyard to avoid Rin's lightning. Grass smoked and turned black, earth was blown into the air, and Sakura still continued to avoid her retribution for interloping.

With a snarl, Rin clapped her hands, lightning crackling between her palms and converging into a crackling sphere of energy. "All who cause me pain…" she spat. "…turn to dust!"

Rin threw the lightning ball, which split into three smaller balls linked together by crackling arcs of energy. Sakura's eyes widened with shock and surprise, the three lightning balls entrapping her and reducing her to ash in a flash of light and a booming thunderclap.

Rin however, narrowed her eyes as ashes scattered down to the ground. It was too easy. It wasn't just that Sakura should not be _that_ easy to defeat, it's that Rin _knew_ her attack wouldn't have been powerful enough to reduce Sakura to dust in one salvo.

Oh no…such a quick, clean and painless death was too good for her.

She wanted to hear Sakura to scream, to beg for her to stop, to be allowed to die, and to experience despair. Despair, just like her, when she had screamed night after night for the torture to stop, crying and pleading for someone to come and save her.

 _No one came. No one cared. Only one person did, and he turned out to be a liar who died like he deserved for lying to me._

No…Rin would not let Sakura die so quickly. Just as she had screamed as the worms had chewed their way into her, forced themselves into places that children should not know about, and did as they pleased with her body Sakura would scream. Just like she had her screams muffled and choked out by the worms writhing down her throat, so too would Sakura have her screams muffled and choked out by her own blood.

And unlike Rin, Sakura would not be allowed to learn how to withdraw from herself into the peace of nothingness. She would not even be allowed the disgusting yet soothing afterglow that came with the worms' attentions.

She would have only pain, and a death that she deserved.

 _Just like eight years ago…_

So now…where was she? It took Rin only a second to answer the question: thanks to her Imaginary Numbers, Sakura's illusions could be considered high-functioning projections made by Gradation Air as opposed to hallucinations induced by prana in one's nerves, or tricks of light and sound by means of prana.

 _That which is possible but not on the physical plane…_

"COWARD…!" Rin shouted.

"I call it pragmatism." Sakura replied, the illusion recreating itself around a familiar as it hovered over the ground, the sparrow's wings beating heavily. It took only a moment to complete the projection. "Not everyone gets the opportunity to die more than once. But I'd rather not die for the second time so soon and certainly not again at _your_ hands."

"You should never have been born in the first place." Rin spat, taking vindictive delight as pain ever so briefly flickered through Sakura's eyes.

"Yes…" Sakura said coldly. "…to the void with all manners and niceties. Therefore I will get to the point: you are officially reprimanded for failing to present your apprentice to the Territorial Supervisor as per Association…"

Sakura trailed off as Rin laughed uproariously. "You came all the way here just to do something so petty?" she asked. "You're hilarious!"

Sakura waited until Rin had finished laughing before continuing. "It certainly seems petty." She admitted. "But even if they're only going through the motions, proper procedures must be followed. As the Supervisor I have obligations…"

"You dare speak to me about obligation?" Rin spat angrily. "After what you did eleven years ago…? After everything you did to me? Hypocrite, don't you dare talk to me about obligation!"

"Alright…" Sakura said with a small bow. "…the reprimand has been delivered so let us proceed to the next…"

Sakura didn't get to finish, as with a scream of pure rage and hate, Rin charged a lightning bolt ala Zeus in one hand, and threw it javelin-like at Sakura. The explosion blew dirt up into a plume along with part of the wall, visible for a good distance away. Shirou, ten minutes away at a casual walk, spotted it and noting the surges of prana – and it was in the direction of his house – started to run.

Rin however tensed as she felt bounded fields falling into place around the property. " _Do be less dramatic…_ " Sakura mentally told her. " _…it'll be a pain if there are too many witnesses._ "

"Then just kill them if you're too lazy to change their memories." Rin spat. "That would be just like you!"

"That's enough of that." Sakura said sternly. "I know you hate me, though I don't understood why…"

"How could you understand?" Rin spat, turning to see Sakura sitting at the table. Rin's fury boiled, but she kept it chained this time, if only because she didn't want to wreck the interior of Shirou's home. "You don't know what I've been through, favoured child!"

"You were favoured before me." Sakura remarked. "But that's beside the point: apart from the reprimand, I have to say I'm disappointed that you've kept your apprentice in the dark about the Holy Grail War. How irresponsible…it nearly got him killed when he stumbled into the middle of…"

"Sakura…if Shirou has been harmed in any way, I'm warning you…"

"Then rest easy…" Sakura said. "…I've kept him safe, and even given him _some_ guarantee of safe passage from school back to his home. In fact he's running up the street right now."

"Get out." Rin spat. "I don't want to see you in the same house as he is. Get out!"

"As you wish…" Sakura replied with a disappointed tone and expression. As she rose to her feet, she continued. "…just so you know, I only ever did as I did because I looked up to you and tried to be like you…"

"And that justifies stealing my inheritance…?" Rin spat.

"Is that really all you think of it as?" Sakura asked as she walked past. "An inheritance…?"

"I told you before Sakura." Rin hissed. "You don't know anything. Now, get out."

Sakura was silent as her projection walked out onto the veranda. "I don't know anything…" she said. "…because you won't tell me anything."

Rin's reply was a burst of lightning that destroyed the projection and the familiar inside. " _Don't talk as if you care about Shirou's well-being._ " Rin silently spat as she heard the front door open and close. " _I won't let you take him from me like you took everything else away!_ "

" _No matter what you believe…_ " Sakura replied in kind. " _…I never intended to rob you of anything. Not the Tohsaka name, legacy…_ "

Rin slammed shut the doors into her mind, Sakura's thoughts vanishing into the void even as Shirou rushed in, demanding answers.

* * *

Archer leapt across the southern suburbs, heeding his Master's telepathic and urgent order to return. Apparently he'd been played. And so had Rin been. They'd all been played.

 _Well, Sakura Matou was deceptive too, though in a different way. Who could have thought such a sweet and kind girl would have such a terrible past, and held such hatred inside of her?_

 _The circumstances might be different, but I guess in the end Sakura Matou and Sakura Tohsaka aren't all that different from each other._

The thought of Sakura Matou seemed to increase the figurative weight on his shoulders. Oh he was glad Sakura didn't have to suffer either the worms or that bastard rapist 'brother' of hers anymore. But neither did he want Rin to take her place.

 _Is fate absolute? Must one always suffer?_

 _Though, at least Shinji isn't raping Rin._

With that said, Rin Matou was a very different person to Sakura Matou. Where Sakura quietly endured, holding the darkness within back by sheer force of will and determination to remain who she was, Rin preferred to balance on a tightrope. She revelled in the darkness within, accepting the power it offered, and using it to remain _her_.

Sakura fought the darkness to stay Sakura.

Rin however used the darkness to stay Rin.

But…such a path…it brought to mind the words of Luvia's warning, a warning that he never remembered until it was too late.

 _He who fights monsters should be careful not to become what he fights against. Shero, remember that when you look into the abyss, the abyss also looks back into you._

" _I know._ " Archer bitterly thought. " _I became everything I ever fought to destroy, just another part of the world's injustice. And I know what happens when you use the darkness' power. It can't be tamed, it just can't. It's a god's power after all. How could a Human possibly hope to control it?_ "

Memories flickered through his mind, of a soft-spoken girl with purple hair and eyes and a sweet smile. Then he saw that same girl, her eyes crazed and glowing red, matching streaks marking her face, and her hair turned white by the power that flowed through her.

 _I won't let it happen to you Rin. I owe it to you for everything you've done for me and for Sakura's sake as well. For the sake of a girl I couldn't save, I'll save you from yourself, no matter the cost._

His face hardening in resolve, Archer kicked off a blue-tiled roof with the crack of breaking masonry, heading to re-join his Master. And elsewhere, a fuming, blue-clad Servant closed in on his prey.

* * *

A/N

I'm back, did you miss me?

Yes, I know Sakura's slightly being a jerk to Rin here (or that's the impression I'm getting while proofreading), but don't forget Rin's trying to kill her. And if you read the implication above as Rin having killed Sakura once before already, you got it right. The relationship between them is _**MUCH**_ more messed up than the one between Rin Tohsaka and Sakura Matou is, given how much more volatile Rin Matou is (and it doesn't help that she can't squeal – because Zouken would kill her for it if he doesn't do it in the act – or doesn't want to as she doesn't believe Sakura cares or would understand).

And whenever diplomacy is rebuffed by intent to kill, well…

Archer is being a hero again, 'no matter the cost'. What are the chances it won't blow up in his face?


	6. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own the Fate franchise it belongs to Kinoko Nasu and Type-Moon.

Different Fates

Chapter 5

Sakura Tohsaka opened her eyes and sighed. Rider glanced at her from the corner of his eyes. Master and Servant were in an out-of-the-way park, Sakura seated on a bench while Rider stood guard nearby. A bounded field was set over the park to hide them from casual observation. "It seems that things did not go well." Rider observed.

"No." Sakura agreed. "They did not. She was hostile, as she always has been for eight years now, in the rare times we met alone and involving…magical matters."

 _In truth, this is only the second time we met as magi in ten years. The last one was eight years ago…to say it didn't go well would be an understatement._

"Perhaps if you'd gone in person it might have ended better." Rider replied. "A face-to-face confrontation usually results in a better outcome for a parley."

Sakura chuckled and shook her head. "Her hostility is lethal." She said, but her words and the tone of her voice were a stark contrast to her otherwise cool and elegant demeanour. "She proved it eight years ago. And she proved it again tonight. If I had been there in person, it'd have been a repeat of the past…or started yet another battle."

"What a shame then."

Sakura laughed as she got to her feet. "Yes, I suppose it is." She agreed. "But she has greater firepower than I do. I won't face her in a fair fight if I can help it, much less in her apprentice's territory."

"Oh?" Rider said, turning with a grin. "Are you sure you want to say that to me child? Admitting weakness so readily, and pointing out a stronger Master…have you forgotten who I am?"

"I have not." Sakura replied. "However, I only said she has more firepower than I do. I didn't say she was stronger than me."

She paused and then turning her head met Rider's eyes with her own. They were cold and hard, very determined. "People fear the horde, and understandably so." She said. "But in so doing, they lose sight of the lance until it pierces their heart."

Rider burst out laughing. "Well said…!" he agreed. "Very well…I look forward to seeing how you intend to balance or overcome the enemy's superior firepower."

"And what to do you think the outcome will be, Rider?"

Rider shrugged, and stepped closer to his Master. It was an incongruous sight: a rather tall Asian girl with long dark hair dressed in a typical schoolgirl's uniform under a red cloak, and with a sword clipped to her waist. And towering over her was a giant in ancient Chinese armour, two long red tassels running from his helmet down his back to end at his waist. A gleaming bronze halberd was held relaxed but ready in one hand.

"As I said…" Rider began. "…I look forward to seeing it. But I have expectations from you child, as one who can use, as you Japanese would call it, the _shukuchi_."

Sakura's eyes went wide, while Rider looked down on her with a mysterious smile and expression on his face. Several moments passed, and then surprisingly Sakura chuckled and shook her head before turning and walking away. "Flattery…" she said. "…I thank you for complimenting my skills but I cannot use the _shukuchi_."

"You accuse me of being a flatterer, child?" Rider asked, still wearing a mysterious smile and expression.

"If I could use _shukuchi_..." Sakura replied. "…I could traverse vast distances in an instant. The limit is not known to me, for I cannot use it…yet. One day I might be able to, but not yet. The fastest I can do right now is, well…"

She paused, and a ghostly expression of amusement flickered over her face. "Three steps." She said, and Rider raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

"Three steps from _shukuchi…_ " Sakura replied. "…that's the fastest I can go."

She looked at her Servant over her shoulder, wearing her own smile while meeting his eyes. After a moment Rider laughed and nodded. "How interesting…" he remarked. "…I've never met woman warriors before, so I don't know what to expect. Just don't disappoint me, little lady. You won't like it if you do."

Sakura nodded, and Rider snorted. "So what do you plan to do now?" he asked.

Sakura thought for a moment, and then came to a decision. "I'm going to go see my guardian." She said.

"That blood-stained priest…?" Rider asked. "What for…?"

Sakura didn't reply at once. "I don't know whether or not to let it go." She eventually said. "Matou-senpai's defiance of my authority, that is. I delivered the reprimand, but she treated it as a joke. Well, I did refer to it as going through motions, but still…"

Sakura shook her head. "I'm not good in politics…" she said. "…even as…local as the current situation. Kirei might have good advice to offer."

"And if he does?" Rider challenged. "Will you obey without question?"

"A trick question…" Sakura said while beginning to walk away. "…I'll take his advice, but whether or not I act on them is my decision alone."

Rider snorted with grudging approval. "As you say…" he said, and then vanished into astral form.

* * *

Shirou surveyed the destruction at the back of his house with a frown and crossed his arms. To be fair, the house itself was fine. But large parts of the yard had been torn up, even larger patches of grass had been burned to ash, and a good chunk of the back wall had been blown apart.

Sighing, he decided to leave the matter of repairs and such for later. Instead, he turned around and walked back to the table, and sat down opposite the one responsible for it: Rin Matou.

She nibbled on a piece of toast, clearly trying to avoid meeting his eyes. Dinner had been put into containers and put into the refrigerator, both of them understandably having no appetite at present. For a time they sat in silence, and then with another sigh Shirou decided to speak up.

"Sorry…" Rin pre-empted him.

"What?"

"I'm sorry." Rin repeated sulkily but with an underlying hint of regret under the words. "I didn't tell you about the Holy Grail War, or take precautions for your sake, and you almost got killed because of it. And what's more…"

She paused, and Shirou looked troubled as her eyes narrowed slightly and her fingers curled into fists. "What's more…" she said. "…you had to be saved by Tohsaka of all people."

Shirou was silent for a moment. "Why didn't you tell me?" he asked simply.

"I didn't want you getting involved." Rin answered after a moment. She then finally met his eyes, and Shirou was even more troubled at their unexpected vulnerable softness. "In hindsight, that was probably wishful thinking on my part. You're a magus. And more than that, you're my apprentice. Sooner or later, you'd be dragged into this mess."

 _Hopefully you never become a Master, Shirou._

 _If you do, then we…I…_

Again, silence consumed then, and then to Rin's surprise Shirou reached forward and forcing her hand open, took it and squeezed it reassuringly. "I don't think keeping someone in the dark about something that could affect them is entirely wrong." He said. "After all, if they don't know they can't act on it, so yeah, it probably wouldn't affect them. Though, it's still wrong in a way."

Rin winced, but Shirou squeezed her hand and smiled at her. "But…" he said. "…you said sorry, and that's enough for me. I can see you're sincere too, so that's another point for you."

Rin snorted, but there was no bite in it. "You're an idiot." She said, also without a bite. "You'd trust me after I kept you in the dark?"

Shirou hummed and frowned while crossing his arms, but it was just for show before he beamed at her. "No one's perfect." He eventually said. "And I'd probably have done the same thing as you. And everyone deserves a second chance, or at least I like to think so."

"Humph…" Rin scoffed and looked away. "…idiot."

Shirou shrugged and smiled as though saying 'what can you do'. "Maybe…" he said. "…but I'm your idiot, so what does that say about you?"

Rin scoffed at that but took Shirou's hand again. "Thanks." She said softly, and Shirou nodded his acceptance.

"No problem." He said with a smile. The smile faded as he moved to the next topic though. "With that said, about Tohsaka…"

"How much did she tell you?" Rin bitterly interrupted and squeezing Shirou's hand hard. "How much poison did she pour into your ears?"

"She didn't tell me much really." Shirou said while fighting not to wince. "She did say you hate her, though she didn't say why."

"Is that really all?" Rin growled, and Shirou looked reprovingly at her. She didn't flinch, and he sighed and nodded.

"She also said you broke protocol not telling her about me…" he said. "…though for magi it wasn't particularly unusual, or something to that effect. She also said that you were irresponsible for keeping me in the dark about the Holy Grail War, and seemed…miffed, that you didn't tell me about her being the Supervisor of this Territory."

Rin snorted. "Why am I not surprised?" she spat. "Little Miss Perfect is offended about me infringing on her authority? Talk about the pot calling the kettle black!"

"She has a point though Rin." Shirou said. "It doesn't matter whether you like her or not, she's the Association Supervisor, and thus the ranking magical authority here. You can't just…"

"Defending her now…?" Rin exploded. She let go of Shirou's hand and got to her feet. "Maybe I should just leave, and end our…relationship, so you can go running to sit at that woman's feet!"

"Rin…!" Shirou exploded in his turn, though he didn't get up. "I'm not defending her, I'm just pointing out that she has a point! You can't just go around defying Association authority because you don't like their agent! You've told me time and time again how dangerous the Mages Association can be, and here you are taking risks with them! Rin, I…I just don't want you to get hurt."

Rin sneered and looked away, but she didn't try to leave. Shirou stayed silent, waiting for Rin to calm down and pull her thoughts together. "Can't you just accept that we go back a long way?" she finally said. "And that we've…left our marks on each other?"

 _Some deeper than others…_

Shirou sighed, and crossing his arms lowered his face in thought. Rin stayed standing where she was, and kept her face away from Shirou. The minutes passed slowly, like caramel flowing, and then finally Shirou sighed again. "Hating someone and holding it in isn't healthy." Shirou began, raising a hand to pre-empt Rin's retort. "But…I can see it's nothing…casual. And I want to trust you too."

Shirou stopped talking, looking at Rin and waiting for her to meet his eyes. She did, violet eyes meeting golden ones, and for several moments they just stared into each other. The latter warm yet resolute, and the former hard but hiding traces of…vulnerability? Longing? Hope?

Shirou smiled. "That's why…" he said. "…I'll hope and trust that someday you'll tell me why, and share the burden. Isn't part of an apprentice's job to help his or her master in any way they can?"

Rin scoffed again, though with less bite this time. "You think too much." She said, and then she sighed. "I can't promise when, but…alright. I promise to answer your trust, someday."

"That's all I'm asking." Shirou said, and then scratching at his cheek sighed. "Also…I'd like to ask that you won't pick fights with Tohsaka."

Rin glanced at him. "Afraid that I'll lose?" she asked.

"Yes." Shirou said, but something in his eyes kept Rin from responding at once. "And not because I think you're weaker than her, but that's neither here or there. No, what worries me is that your hate for her would blind you to any tricks she might pull…"

"I know." Rin interrupted. "Don't think I don't know how treacherous she is. I know that better than anyone else."

She fell silent, as did Shirou. Eventually, Rin sighed and nodded before continuing. "I understand your worries." She said. "And don't worry: I don't intend to lose to her."

"Rin…"

Rin glanced at him and sighed. "I won't start fights unless I have to." She said but not meeting Shirou's eyes. "But I'll finish anything that gets started."

Shirou sighed, and scratched his head. "I suppose I'll have to be satisfied with that." He said.

Rin opened her mouth to say something, but a tingling sensation as the bounded field was breached followed by chillingly-intense killing intent killed the words on the tip of her tongue. "What the…?" Shirou said, leaping to his feet.

"This is…" Rin began as a blue-clad figure with a red spear landed on the ground in front of the veranda. Rin's eyes barely had time to widen, and for her to consider using a command spell before a blue blur appeared in front of her, and a backhand to her chin sent her flying. And with that, darkness fell.

* * *

"Rin…!" Shirou shouted, and jumped back barely in time to avoid a swing of Lancer's lance that would have gutted him where he stood. Following through, Lancer jabbed forward with Gae Bolg, striking Shirou in the chest with the butt and sending him flying backwards against a wall.

"Don't misunderstand kid." Lancer said, his lance resting casually on a shoulder. "I don't like hitting women. But I can't have her using a command spell to get her Servant here in an instant either."

Lancer grinned at that. "That Tohsaka brat's not too dull." He said. "Most magi these days aren't too subtle, but she used a decoy to get Matou's Archer out of the way of our battle earlier, just in case he might try to butt in. And I can use that, here and now."

"C-c-come to finish the job then…?" Shirou coughed as he shakily got up.

"Damn straight kid." Lancer said, flourishing his lance. "It's nothing personal, but my Master thinks even if you have the right to know, you shouldn't be allowed to hang around when and where you might mess with his plans. Sorry."

Lancer stabbed forward, but Shirou dodged to the side and dove towards Rin. Gae Bolg swung towards him but he was able to avoid it. He grabbed Rin and began to pull her away before Lancer kicked him away from Rin. "Don't get the girl involved." Lancer snapped. "This is between you and me."

"Just so you can finish her off once you're done with me?" Shirou snarled as he fumbled around for a weapon while backing on the floor to the corner. "Screw you!"

Lancer laughed. "Spirited, aren't you?" he asked. "Don't worry my Master also told me to keep her alive. That damn bastard apparently has plans for her."

"What?"

Lancer whistled and pressed the attack, but Shirou again managed to avoid getting skewered, diving and rolling to the side. "Trace on!" he said, projecting and reinforcing a steel bat.

Rolling up onto his feet, he parried several stabbing attacks made by Lancer, who forced him around until his back was to the veranda. And then the Servant feinted, and then kicked Shirou hard out onto the grounds beyond.

Again flourishing his lance, Lancer stepped out, and narrowed his eyes as he spotted Shirou coughing up blood before getting up to his feet again. Lancer sighed. "Archer's probably getting very close now." He said. "I need to finish this quick kid, so won't you just stop? You've got no chance in the first place."

"Shut up!" Shirou said, brandishing the bat. Lancer sighed with disappointment.

"I really hate it when I have to kill interesting people like you." Lancer said. "Damn that bastard for telling me to do this."

Lancer leaped forward, and Shirou's eyes widened at the onslaught that followed. Stabs and swings came at him from multiple directions and at speeds barely visible to the naked eye. Even reinforcement could only do so much, and Shirou felt his body wear and tear trying to keep up and hold.

Worse, his makeshift weapon wasn't doing too well either, the projected bat cracking and bending with every blow. Finally, Lancer forced Shirou's guard open, and then throwing him off balance with the follow-up, sent him flying across the grounds with a kick.

Flourishing his lance, Lancer drew back and threw, planning to skewer the boy's heart straight through. Shirou was able to get up time to avoid getting skewered, but his back was now against his workshop door. And before he could recover Lancer was there, and kicked him through the door and into the room beyond.

Coughing again, Shirou struggled to all fours, not noticing a trio of symbols appearing on his right hand while a summoning circle began to glow. Lancer noticed the latter and glanced down at Shirou as he – Lancer – entered the room. "Well isn't this a surprise?" he asked.

"W-w-what…?" Shirou asked.

"You're the last Master." Lancer replied. "Really now…so the girl's family plans to cheat the contest by having two Master-Servant pairs?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Shirou spat, rolling around to face Lancer.

"Sure you don't." Lancer snorted while flourishing his lance. "Still, I really wish you weren't too interesting. It would have made this easier for me. I'll make it quick at least."

Lancer stabbed down hard, but again Shirou was able avoid by leaping up and back, and then parry a couple of follow-up attacks. A fourth blow shattered his weapon and he staggered back as glittering prana briefly hung in the air between him and Lancer.

"Well, I guess so much for that." Lancer said with his facial expression eager yet slightly disappointed. He aimed his lance for Shirou's heart. "Any last words, kid?"

Shirou grit his teeth and clenched his fists as he stared down the enemy in front of him. On his hand, his unnoticed command spells flickered in sympathy with the summoning circle behind him.

" _Die…?_ " he thought. " _I'm going to die here? Screw that! I can't die here! If I die here, then, what happens to Rin? Dad…what happens to his dream? I promised him I'd make his dream come true. I can't die here! I can't leave Rin all alone, or break my promise to dad. I just can't. I CAN'T DIE HERE!_ "

At the thought, the command spells flared bright and hot, as did the summoning circle behind Shirou. Lancer and Shirou alike shielded their eyes from the light flooding into and out of the workshop, both turning toward the summoning circle to see prana coalescing into a petite, armoured form in the middle.

There was a powerful burst of wind, and with a surprised shout Lancer was blown out of the workshop by a blur of blue and silver. Shirou was knocked aside, shielding his face with his arms as he fell on his rear.

As the light faded, he lowered his arms, and he blinked at the sight that met his eyes. Standing in front of him was a girl seemingly around his age, shorter than Shirou with a strikingly-beautiful face, blonde hair tied back in an elaborately-braided bun at the back of her head. Her eyes were green, bright and hard but neither unfriendly nor judging, instead looking down at him with cool appraisal. She wore a dress in blue, runes also engraved in blue on the gleaming metal of her breastplate, her arms and hands also protected by gleaming plates of metal.

But that wasn't what struck Shirou the most.

That she was beautiful there could be no doubt.

But what struck Shirou the most was her bearing. Hers wasn't the volatile yet vulnerable character of Rin. Hers wasn't the brash friendship of Ayako. And neither was hers the deceptive…elegance, of Sakura Tohsaka.

No, Shirou knew despite never having met anyone like her before, that the only word that could describe her bearing was 'regal'. Here was someone used to command and being obeyed without question, and yet despite a part of him instinctively distrusting such an absolute existence, he _knew_ that this girl was one who would never abuse her authority, and would only ever use it as it should be used.

 _How? How did I know that?_

"Servant Saber…" the girl said. "…here I stand by your summons. Answer me: are you my Master?"

"Master…?" Shirou echoed, and then blinking glanced down at the command spells on his hand. They were different to the ones Sakura possessed, multiple jagged lines to her concentric circles, but he could sense the similar if not _identical_ concepts behind the mysteries embodied in the image. "H-how…?"

Saber made to speak, but then glancing at the door rushed outside. "Hey wait…!" Shirou shouted after her, and then scrambling to his feet rushed after her.

* * *

The two Servants rushed at each other in what would look like blurs to the Human eye, Lancer roaring out a battle cry as he stabbed his lance at Saber. Saber parried it to the side, along with the next two blows. The fourth she riposted, a massive burst of wind accompanying her invisible blade's swing and blowing Lancer back a good distance.

"Coward…!" he shouted, referring to how she hid her sword. She didn't bother to reply, Lancer looking very surprised that she'd ignore him so brazenly like that.

Her sword rippling white with prana and the wind, she delivered a powerful, two-handed blow that tore up the surrounding ground and sent Lancer flying back all the way to the wall on the opposite side of the property. "What's wrong Lancer?" Saber taunted. "Is this the best you can do? If so, then your class weeps for you."

"One question…" Lancer growled as he stepped forward. He wiped at his mouth before stepping into his stance. "…your Noble Phantasm: is it really a sword?"

Saber smiled at him. "Who knows?" she asked back. "It could be a sword. But it could also be a spear, or even an axe, or perhaps even a bow."

Lancer chuckled before his expression turned ugly. "Don't get too arrogant, Saber." He spat, and made to leap into the offensive. Saber settled into a defensive stance, but suddenly Lancer froze. Saber blinked at the sight, and then settled further into her stance as Lancer's demeanour changed from ugly to murderous.

"That bastard…" he snarled in a voice that was calm and yet terrifying for it. "…this is the second time tonight he's butted into my fights."

Saber narrowed her eyes, Lancer's lance glowing red as streams of prana began to wrap around it. "Let's see how lucky you are Saber." He snarled as he tensed. "I'd really like to fight you properly another time. And if you die, well that boy dies with you."

Saber didn't think. Apart from the fact that Lancer had threatened her Master, it was obvious he was going to invoke his Noble Phantasm even though the war had only just begun. Though, apparently it was only because his Master had told him so, if his words were any indication.

It didn't matter. She charged forward, her sword swinging hard and fast at Lancer. It didn't connect. The other Servant sidestepped and then jumped up and past her, twisting in mid-air to throw his lance at her. " **GAE BOLG!** " Lancer roared.

Saber dodged back, the lance striking the ground where she stood. And then her eyes widened as the lance _bent_ , and then struck up at her and piercing through her shoulder.

Saber loudly cried out in pain and surprise, flying back and tumbling a few times before rolling to a crouch, her sword held guardedly in front of her. A gauntleted hand went over the jagged hole in her armour and the deep wound beneath.

Lancer whistled, relaxing ever so slightly and placing his lance behind his shoulders. "Lucky…" he said. "…if you weren't, this would have cut out your heart."

Saber grit her teeth. "Are you mocking me Lancer?" she snarled, and the other Servant scoffed.

"Hardly…" he said, turning to leave. "…if I had my way, I'd fight you to the death here and now, whether or not my Noble Phantasm had been used. But, my Master's a scheming son of a bitch. He said to use my Noble Phantasm on you, and to finish the job if it worked. But if not, then retreat, seeing as I'd have exposed who I really was."

"So you're just going to leave?" Saber shouted, staggering to her feet.

"Then by all means follow!" Lancer shouted back over a shoulder. "Just be prepared to die if you do! But I'd prefer if you don't though."

"What?"

Lancer grinned wolfishly at her. "You're handicapped right now." He said. "Patch yourself up in the meantime. I prefer going toe-to-toe anyway."

Saber narrowed her eyes at Lancer who chuckled before leaping off into the night. Saber looked after him until he vanished from her sight. Sighing, she sealed her wound before turning to go to her Master, who'd apparently rushed into the house during the fighting.

She'd barely taken a step when she felt another Servant approaching, from a different direction Lancer had come from. She glanced in that direction, and then towards the house. Making her decision, she rushed to intercept.

 _One after another…!_

* * *

A/N

Yes, _shukuchi_ is a deliberate reference to _Rurouni Kenshin_. No, it's not an innate ability for her. It's acquired, and honed by training. How she acquired it will be revealed, but it is a canon means of getting supernatural abilities while staying Human. A Type-Moon protagonist (no, it's not Shirou) gained his powers in a similar way, in fact. Sakura just got a different ability, more in line with her family's affinity for the Second Magic, though it requires training to fully realize.

Next, I apologize for this chapter. It's rather unimaginative, no? Typical Lancer attacks, Shirou summons Saber, etc. I promise more originality in the following chapters, though I hope the Rin and Shirou fluff makes for it ever so slightly.

Guest: isolated? She's Student Council Vice-Chairwoman, and she was voted into the spot. I don't exactly think 'isolated' is a word that fits into the…publicly-attractive character needed to get where she is. And no, she didn't see the high jump.


	7. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own the Fate franchise it belongs to Kinoko Nasu and Type-Moon.

Different Fates

Chapter 6

Rin stirred fitfully, a sore point along her jaw throbbing away to nothingness as her…magecraft, healed the injury. Not that it was painful of course: compared to 'training' this was as nothing.

She could take much worse, and recover. She had the prana for it, and the necessary mysteries had been carved into her very flesh and soul both. Short of the destruction of her brain, nothing could truly kill her.

 _Though, no matter how useful it was, what had been done to her was still no less horrific._

A frantic voice and prodding and shaking further stirred her consciousness, and her mind followed the same paths it normally took to regain control of her body after her grandfather had his way with it. The only difference was that this wasn't training, and as a result her nerves weren't as…numbed, or shocked as they usually were.

Consciousness returned quickly, and with it recollections of what had led to this state of being. Lancer…surprise attack…Emiya property…

Rin's eyes shot open, and with an explosive gasp of breath she sat up, catching Shirou by surprise. Her sudden movement from where she'd apparently been resting her head in Shirou's lap briefly caused some disorientation and flickers of pain, but she just shrugged them off.

"Shirou…!" she said, turning to and grabbing him by the arms. "Are you…Lancer is…what's happened?"

"Yeah…about that…" Shirou said uncomfortably. He scratched his head, sighed, and held up his right hand. Rin's eyes widened as she caught sight of the jagged lines of three command spells, and belatedly heard the sounds of battle outside. They cut quickly, and she heard Lancer's voice, followed by an unknown woman's.

"I don't really know how it happened…" Shirou said. "…but when Lancer had me cornered, this…woman, well Servant I guess, appeared in a flash of light, wind, and prana and saved me. She called herself 'Saber', said that I summoned her, and then ran off to fight Lancer. And well, here we are."

Servant Saber: the Knight of the Sword. The strongest overall Servant, and somehow Shirou had summoned her by _accident_. That it had saved his life was to be thankful for, but even so, Rin didn't want to know whether or not to rejoice or to cry.

Rejoice, because Shirou being her apprentice and…someone important to her would almost certainly mean he would ally with her.

 _Between Saber and Archer, I'm almost guaranteed to win._

Cry, because it meant Shirou was a potential enemy if only because his wish might clash with hers, or between their Servants.

 _There…might be a way to resolve that. But…if he found out…if he knew why I would hand the Grail over to grandfather…would he…would he…_

 _How would he see me then? Would he still…someone like me…someone…filthy…defiled…_

Rin swallowed dryly, ignoring Shirou's queries as to whether or not she was alright, and barely registered him taking her by the arms to gently shake her. Instead, her eyes fell, falling to the ground as she realized that perhaps the only way to reconcile their wishes might be for him to know her past, and _what_ she was: a woman that was at once nest, mother, and lover to worms that carried within them an ancient magus' soul.

 _Shirou…you won't leave me would you? You wouldn't abandon me just because of what was done to me?_

 _I didn't want this._

 _I didn't want this._

 _I didn't want this._

 _ **I didn't want this.**_

 _ **I didn't want this.**_

 _ **I DIDN'T WANT THIS!**_

Rin shook her head to clear it, and gently but firmly pushed Shirou away. "I'm fine." She breathed. A powerful surge of prana could be felt from outside, followed by a woman's – presumably Saber – scream. The two magi rushed outside to see Lancer standing relaxed while Saber crouched a good distance away, holding her sword warily while clutching at a wound on her shoulder.

 _Anti-personnel Noble Phantasm…good to know…_

The two magi stayed silent as Lancer and Saber exchanged barbs, and then the former left. Saber looked after the fleeing Servant as she sealed the wound on her shoulder, and seemed to make to join them. But then Rin felt Archer approach, and apparently so did Saber.

And she moved to intercept. Rin swore before grabbing and pulling a surprised Shirou by the arm. "Come on!" she said. "We have to stop her before she and Archer get into a death battle and send things out of control!"

* * *

"STOP, SABER!"

Saber's eyes flew wide at her Master's voice, barely hesitating for an instant as she delivered a powerful two-handed blow that sent a powerful blast of wind that shook the entire street. That instant was enough time for Archer to jump back, his swords breaking but avoiding any injury to himself.

Keeping her sword in a guarding position, she glanced over her shoulder to her Master. "Why?" she demanded. "This Servant is an enemy. He should be…"

"That's my Servant – Archer – there, Saber." The girl beside her Master interrupted. Her tone of voice was somewhat superior-sounding, and despite the underlying strength that Saber could respect, that…hint of self-assured superiority grated against her nerves. "And your Master is my apprentice. You could at least hear us out first, no?"

Saber narrowed her eyes, and then glanced at the Servant in front of her. He looked…smug, infuriatingly so, and then with a sigh smug satisfaction gave way to apology as he spread his arms and held them up in a gesture of peace. After a moment, Saber lowered her sword. "Very well then…" she said softly. "…say your pieces."

Rin made to speak, but a hand on her shoulder made her stop. She glanced quizzically at Shirou, who looked at her in a way that seemed to say 'let me handle this'. She nodded, and Shirou stepped forward. "We should probably take this inside." He said. "This isn't something we should be talking about in the open."

Saber didn't respond, instead opting to stare into Archer's eyes. The other Servant didn't break her gaze, gazing back at her resolutely without any hint of fear or distrust, as though he _knew_ she wouldn't strike an unarmed opponent, which he was at present.

And he was _right_. As a knight she could no more strike down an unarmed opponent than she could strike down a child. Well technically she could, but she would demand a command spell from her Master if he would have her do so.

A part of her was unnerved that he could somehow read her so well. True, as a Saber Class Servant she bore the title of Knight of the Sword, but knights were dime a dozen, and _true_ knights few and far in between. Just because she was the Saber it didn't necessarily follow – without knowing who she really was – that she was a true knight, regardless of the title of her class.

But another part of her was respectful of Archer's perception. For one thing, someone who could read his opponent so well was _not_ one to be underestimated, much less disregarded out of hand. And for another thing, Archer wasn't the only one who could read people.

Saber was a king after all, the Once and Future King her people called and remembered her, and she could read people too. And it seemed to her that while Archer was one to be wary of, for now, she could trust him…to an extent.

She gestured with a hand. "After you…" she said. "…Archer."

* * *

"Hmm…" Rin hummed as Shirou finished telling her what Sakura had told him about the Holy Grail War. "…well Tohsaka is thorough if nothing else, she didn't seem to have left anything important out. Except for one thing that is: her wish."

Shirou grimaced. "I don't really think she'd have told me even if I had asked. And that would have been rude." He said. "Though…"

"Do you really believe her when she said she wouldn't throw the world into chaos?" Rin interrupted.

"You don't?"

"Shirou…" Rin replied. "…when you ask an autocrat what makes him different from another tyrant the answer will be 'the difference is I am right'."

Shirou made a double-take at that. "You think her wish is to be queen or something?" he asked. "That's…"

"I _know_ Sakura." Rin said darkly. "We knew each other as children. She acts sweet and nice now, and she did too as a child. No, more than that even: as a child she wasn't very promising, always following her mother around like a chick following a mother hen, and never doing anything out of her own initiative. In all honesty, she was a disappointment…or so it seemed. Now, she is the sixth magus of the Tohsaka Clan, and a very powerful magus to boot."

Rin paused and narrowed her eyes. "Trust me Shirou." She said. "The depths of that woman's heart are deep, and her ambitions vast. And don't forget: her Servant is Lu Bu, a great but treacherous hero from the Three Kingdoms of China. Even if you use a catalyst to summon a Servant, the Heroic Spirit in question must still _consent_ to be your Servant. And it says a lot that Lu Bu agreed to be her Servant."

"But…" Shirou pressed. "…that seems a bit judgmental to me. Lu Bu was a backstabber yes, but isn't there a chance that Lu Bu is simply using her? The Grail's his ultimate goal after all."

Rin thought for a moment, and then nodded slowly. "Alright…" she said. "…I'll admit that possibility exists. But, Lu Bu was also very proud, and thought highly of himself. A weakling Master would be one he would never submit to. And as I said, I _know_ Sakura: her ambitions probably rival Lu Bu's own."

Shirou lowered his head in thought for a several moments. "What do you think their wishes are then?" he asked.

Rin shrugged. "Lu Bu is easy." She answered. "He probably wants the Mandate of Heaven, and with it become Emperor of China. Sakura though…"

Rin's lips twitched. "Mundane titles are usually meaningless for magi." She said. "With that said, I don't know whether or not that'd be the case for her, though if the choice was between mundane power and magical power she'd undoubtedly choose the latter."

Rin smiled without mirth. "Her wish probably involves reaching the Root…" she said. "…and gain power beyond all magi combined."

Shirou's eyes widened. "Sorcery?" he whispered. "She'd wish to become a sorceress? Is it even possible?"

Rin shrugged. "If the Grail truly is what it's claimed to be…" she said. "…then yes, it should be possible. But I will **NOT** allow her to become a sorceress, even if I have to destroy the Grail myself."

Saber's eyes narrowed ever so slightly at that, sliding over to glance at Rin. Archer noticed, and he gave a subtle glance indicative of amusement and warning both to Saber. Saber noticed, and her eyes looked away. "That sounds a lot like sour grapes to me." Shirou remarked dryly.

Rin bristled, but managed to keep her temper under control. "You don't know her." She eventually said. "So I understand why you give her the benefit of a doubt. But if you knew her as I do, then you would know she cannot be trusted with such power. You would do the same thing as I would."

Shirou again looked down in thought, and then he sighed. "I'll think about it." He said.

Rin chuckled and shook her head. She was about to speak when Saber pre-empted her. "Then, what is your wish Rin Matou?" she asked. "You speak ill of this 'Sakura Tohsaka' and her ambition. And yet, magi in general are ambitious by nature and inclination. I know that very well."

Saber paused and narrowed her eyes at Rin. "Will you perhaps throw the world into chaos?" she asked.

"Saber…!" Shirou snapped reprovingly as Rin reeled back as though struck.

"Let he who casts the first stone be pure of sin." Saber said with a glance at Shirou before turning back to Rin. "I will admit that your arguments against the one known as Sakura Tohsaka are of merit…to an extent. I will be wary of her and her Servant, but I will not condemn, until I have something unquestionable to condemn."

"Innocent until proven guilty…?" Rin asked coldly.

"That is a key foundation of justice and rule of law." Saber answered. "Anything less would be barbarous in the extreme, and I would not sink so low."

Rin sneered, and Saber continued. "I await your answer, Matou." She said. "What is the difference between you and Tohsaka?"

Silence fell on everyone there, Rin looking away in anger at being questioned so. Saber refused to look away, while Shirou looked very uncomfortable. Archer looked cool and unconcerned, though his eyes were fixed on his Master. Finally, Rin answered.

"The difference is I don't stab people in the back." She snarled. "Is that enough for you?"

Saber's face was impassive, but her eyes gave an impression of not being convinced. "So you would not seek the same power you think Tohsaka seeks?" she asked.

Rin scoffed in response. "A stupid question…" she snapped. "…all magi seek the Root, that's our reason for existing as we do. But there are things more important than power."

"I see." Saber said with a slow nod. After a few moments she turned to glance at her Master, and then at Archer. "And what of you Archer…? What is your wish?"

Archer smirked at her. "Why don't you answer first?" he asked.

"I seek to discharge my duty to the utmost that is all."

Archer's eyes seemed to flicker, and for a moment Saber was surprised. There was sadness there, admonishment and regret at her answer…why?

 _Is he…no, he doesn't look the part._

 _But if so, then why…?_

The spell was broken as Archer laughed low and soft. "A roundabout answer…" he said. "…though I don't blame you. A proper answer would probably expose who you are, after all. Alright, it's my turn. My wish is to correct a grave wrong that is all."

 _What an understatement. My entire life…Shirou Emiya's entire life…is wrong in every possible way._

Rin briefly glanced at her Servant, and in hindsight given the excitement over the partial botching of his summoning she hadn't bothered to learn who he was and what he wanted. That would have to be corrected.

"I see." Saber said. She then turned to her Master. "And you Master…?"

"I don't have any wish for the Holy Grail." Shirou said without hesitation.

"What?" Saber and Rin said at the same time. Archer however, just looked amused for some reason.

"There's no point in getting something that you didn't work for with your own hands." Shirou replied with stern gazes to both of them. Saber and Rin alike looked taken aback at his gaze. "You won't value it, because you didn't earn it."

Shirou paused, and holding up his hand clenched it into a fist. "If I want something great, something I can be known for or for having…" he said. "…it has to be truly something…well, _me_."

Silence fell again, and then Archer spoke up. "Then…" he said. "…what are you fighting for?"

Shirou smiled. "I just don't want people getting hurt, though it's probably inevitable." He said.

"Really…?"

"I'm not saying it's alright." Shirou continued with quiet conviction. "But, that's the reality. But, I'll do what I can to keep it from happening, and if people try to deliberately hurt people well I'll still do what I can. And I won't let anyone who'd abuse it have the Holy Grail."

Archer chuckled and looked away, shaking his head. Shirou glanced darkly at him, and then with betrayal at Saber as she laughed softly. "Don't get so angry." She said with a surprisingly warm smile that caught him off-guard, and leaving him staring at her. "It's a bit childish, but you remind me of a great knight I once knew."

 _He's a bit simple-minded…but genuinely good-hearted, and from the sound of things he's someone who wants to be known for his deeds, and not his words. Percival would probably get along well with him._

"T-thanks…I guess."

Saber nodded her acceptance and then turned to Rin. "You are my Master's master." She said. "An alliance between us would be advantageous…for now. But in the future, things might change."

"You're not the one who makes that decision." Rin growled.

"No, it's my Master's decision." Saber agreed before she turned back to Shirou. "I stand by what I said, Master. An alliance with your master and her Servant right now and for the foreseeable future is advantageous, but in the long-term, we might have to reconsider."

"Are you suggesting I ally with her now and then backstab her later?" Shirou asked incredulously.

"If that were the case I wouldn't be advocating it so openly." Saber replied deadpan. "If and when that time comes, then we would part ways openly, and in time come together once more, only on opposite sides of the battlefield."

"That's…"

"Are you telling your Master what to do, Saber?" Rin asked subtly.

"I do nothing of the sort, Matou." Saber replied coolly. "I merely offer advice. Whether or not my Master acts on them, is entirely up to him. That is all."

Rin narrowed her eyes at Saber, who met her gaze evenly. For a full minute they stared at each other, and then Rin's eyes wavered, and she looked away. "You never answered what your wish was." Saber remarked. "But I will not press you on the matter, and I apologize. It seems that you do not truly know what it is you want. Perhaps, the needs of war will enlighten you to it."

"You know nothing." Rin whispered.

"Perhaps…" Saber agreed. "…but I also do not condemn without question. That is why I do not trust you, for you condemn, and seek to have others follow your condemnation without letting them make their own judgment."

Rin's glare snapped back to Saber, and was about to retort loudly when Shirou slapped his hand down on the table. "That's enough." He said. "Look, it's been a stressful evening. Maybe we should continue this tomorrow, after a night's sleep to cool our heads, alright?"

He swept his gaze across the people around the table. Archer shrugged, Saber conceded with a nod, and Rin looked away. "Fine…" she growled.

Shirou sighed. Oh well, he supposed it was better than nothing. Hopefully, come tomorrow morning, everyone would be able to talk and think about things in a calmer fashion.

* * *

"Again…?" Kirei Kotomine remarked with his usual smile as he stepped out of the church's shadows, and walking to meet with Sakura as she walked down the aisle to the altar. "Must I remind you that as a neutral party in this contest I cannot offer you my hospitality so long as the contest continues? Unless of course, you wish to resign from the contest…?"

He chuckled at the deadpan gaze Sakura sent his way as a response. "The answer to that is no then." He said. "How might I be of assistance then?"

"Don't worry it's not about the contest." Sakura said with a wave of her hand. "I wouldn't want to put you in an uncomfortable position after all. And I do have some pride as a Master."

"Oh? That sounds very interesting." Kirei said. "Then, what is this about?"

Sakura immediately told Kirei of Shirou Emiya, Rin Matou's secret apprentice, and of how he'd been hidden from her. Nothing too unusual, magi being magi, but Sakura then proceeded to explain how in addition to him being hidden from her by his master, Shirou had been kept in the dark about both the Holy Grail War and the existence of the Association Supervisor for Fuyuki City.

"Shirou…Emiya…?" Kirei echoed.

Sakura looked curious. "Yes." She said. "Is something wrong?"

Inwardly Kirei smiled. " _So…_ " he thought. " _…that man's son is a Master? What a delightful turn of events…_ "

"No, it's nothing." Kirei said aloud. "I was just repeating the name, to impress it on my memory."

"I see." Sakura said slowly, and then with a mental shrug continued with her story. She sent a projection of herself to meet with Rin, and how it devolved into Rin making light of her authority as the Supervisor, followed by botched attempts at murder.

 _Same old, same old…_

"In other words…" Kirei said with a hint of disappointment. "…you came here to seek my help and advice to sooth your wounded pride that your authority as the Supervisor has been belittled."

"Kirei, this is serious."

"I am serious." Kirei said. "It's incredibly childish and most unlike you to come to me for such a petty reason. All I can say is that the reason your authority is being ignored so is that right now it is hollow, for you have no means to enforce it. I will remind you: respect is never given, it is earned."

Sakura looked exasperated. "Kirei, I know that." She said. "But that's not what I'm worried about."

"Really…?" Kirei said with an amused smile and a knowing light in his eyes

Sakura squirmed and with a sigh gave in. "Okay, I give." She said, and raising her hands in surrender. "I'll admit my pride is wounded. But that's not my real problem over this."

"Oh? Then what is it?"

"A line has to be drawn Kirei." Sakura said. "She was belittling me for a long time now, but so long as it was only between the two of us I could tolerate it. But she's involved someone else in this. And there's the problem."

Kirei chuckled. "I think I see what you mean." He said. "But let us dispense with veils and double-meanings. Say what you want to say, and I will offer what advice I have. After all, it's _your_ authority under question, and I can't be the one to take direct action to reinforce it."

Sakura sighed and nodded. "So long as it was just between us, I could tolerate it." She repeated. "That's because if I had to re-establish my authority later on, it would always be just between us, and the potential for collateral would be limited. But she has involved another magus in this matter. Granted, he's her apprentice, but still: it's no longer just between us."

Kirei nodded slowly. "If I let this matter go…" Sakura continued. "…I'd only be encouraging her to bring more people into our dispute. I can't let that happen."

"Then why don't you reinforce your reprimand with action from your Servant?"

"I'd rather not entangle this affair with the Holy Grail War." Sakura replied acidly. "Things are complicated enough when I have to keep an eye on my territory while managing my war effort as well. Only idiots fight wars on two fronts, but only lunatics fights wars on three fronts."

"So you'll go as far as idiocy, but not lunacy, eh?" Kirei said with a chuckle. "A dilemma then…how to reinforce your authority, when you have no means to do so without making yourself looking even weaker, or entangling the dispute between you and Rin Matou with the Holy Grail War…?"

Kirei chuckled again. "I might have a solution to that." He said. "I'm surprised you haven't noticed it yet though."

"I'm not a politician or rather I don't have much experience as one." Sakura replied. "I might have been class representative for my classes since sixth grade, but that's not really much worth much, let's be honest."

"Or for that matter, Student Council Vice Chairwoman this year, and possibly Chairwoman next year, no…?"

"Let's stick to the topic please."

"Very well…" Kirei said with a shrug of his own. "…the solution is simple: just go inform Zouken Matou of the breach in protocol."

"What?"

"Just go inform Zouken Matou of the breach in protocol."

"You want me to tattle?"

"Aren't you tattling to me right now?"

"That's different."

"I don't see how."

Sakura fidgeted, and then with a sigh ran a hand through her hair. "Alright…" she said. "…assuming I tell on Rin to her grandfather what are the chances he'd care enough to actually act on it? Magi being magi, he might actually approve of what Rin's doing. After all, by weakening my position, his family – and by extension himself – grows stronger."

"Oh I doubt he'd care for your authority for its own sake." Kirei said with a shrug, and smiled at Sakura's confusion. "What he would care about though is that Rin got caught before she was fully prepared to take advantage of her position. Do you understand?"

Sakura thought for a few moments. "I think I do." She said. "If she could slip on this, what else could she potentially slip on, is that it?"

Kirei smiled and nodded. "Be warned though…" he said. "…if you do this, Rin Matou would not be amused at your course of action. After all, you would get her in trouble with her family, and in a way you are expanding this beyond just the two of you."

"No one likes being tattled on." Sakura replied. "But she was also the one who expanded the dispute first. At least I'm limiting it to our families – though I don't have family anymore – and am in the right here. I am merely responding to her provocation, that's all."

Kirei laughed. "I'm glad to see you understand." He said. "Well then, if you have no further non-contest matters to discuss with me, I bid you to depart. The Holy Grail War is still on-going after all."

Sakura bowed in gratitude. "Thank you for your advice…" she said. "…well then…?"

Kirei nodded, and Sakura turned and left. Kirei kept watching as she opened the doors and passed through them, the doors closing loudly behind her.

And he smiled.

* * *

A/N

'The difference is I am right.' Oh the irony, for _both_ sisters.


	8. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I do not own the Fate franchise it belongs to Kinoko Nasu and Type-Moon.

Different Fates

Chapter 7

 _To my senior colleague Magus Zouken Matou,_

 _This is an official complaint letter penned in my official capacity as the Mages Association Supervisor for Fuyuki City, with regard to the behaviour of your granddaughter and heiress, Magus Rin Matou._

 _It has come to my attention that Rin Matou has apparently trained an apprentice, one Shirou Emiya. Normally this would not be a concern: magi after all, have the right to take and train apprentices at their leisure, to ensure the continuation of their art, and its enrichment in a mutually-beneficial master-apprentice relationship. However, what concerns me is her apparently deliberate – based on my interactions with her and her apprentice – flouting of protocol: that is, her failure to present to me – the Supervisor – her apprentice, as per the rules and regulations of our Mages Association._

 _Furthermore, not only has she failed to fulfil her obligations under Association protocol as a resident magus of this territory, she has also apparently left her apprentice ignorant of both protocol and the Grail wars that periodically happen within this territory. This is simply put unacceptable._

 _However, in light of our families' excellent relationship over the generations and the trust and regard my father held you in, I do not believe you are complicit in Magus Rin's actions. On the contrary, it is likely she may have kept you in the dark for one reason or another, though I would not assume more than that bare minimum. With that said, I have limited my response to a formal reprimand to your granddaughter in person, though it seems that it has had little effect. If anything, she makes light of the reprimand, in a similar disregard to the dignity of the office of the Association Supervisor during the incident eight years ago._

 _I apologize for troubling you so, but as an old ally of your family I would ask that you take measures to bring Magus Rin to heel. I am willing to give more leeway in light of our families' excellent relationship, but not every magus otherwise would. I believe allowing Magus Rin to proceed as she has will only set a dangerous precedent for the future, and one that could potentially and adversely affect you and the rest of your family, given her status as the Matou heiress._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Sakura Tohsaka,_

 _Mages Association Supervisor_

Sakura hesitated, sighed, and then placed her signature over her name. Placing the fountain pen back in its stand, she picked up the letter and proofread it once before setting it back down.

Sighing again, Sakura leaned back with her arms crossed over her chest. And then she leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table and her chin on her joined fingers. The letter rested on the table in front of her, fully capturing her attention.

It was just so…easy, to accept Kirei's proposal, back when he aired it to her at the church. And certainly no one could blame her if she put it into action. It couldn't be denied that she was in the right: her authority _had_ been undermined, and more than once in fact. First when Rin had hidden her apprentice from her, then when she left him ignorant of her, and again when she so easily disregarded her reprimand.

In fact, considering what happened eight years ago, many of her colleagues in the Mages Association would probably be sneering at how much leeway she was giving to the Matou Clan, and not just to Rin. Even Kirei's advice, to escalate the feud between her and Rin, would have been scoffed at as weakness given so many provocative actions by the other party in the past. But now that she was actually about to put it into action…

" _When did it all go wrong?_ " Sakura silently lamented, and leaned back in her chair again. Her arms hung limp at her sides, and her face was directed up at the ceiling, as though the answers could be found there. They weren't of course.

Sakura turned her eyes back to the paper, just the next in a tit-for-tat exchange between her and Rin over the years. First there was the incident eight years ago, when Rin…killed her…would have killed her, and demonstrated her impotence. But that was undone when Zouken had come to see her, in the Tohsaka property itself, with Kirei standing guard and the wards primed to strike on auto at the first sign of hostile action. She had recently recovered then, and he had unreservedly apologized for Rin's actions, and promised that appropriate punishment would be levelled.

 _Whether or not the promise was actually fulfilled doesn't matter. What mattered in context was that the head of the Matou Clan had humbled himself and by extension his entire family as atonement for his granddaughter's actions._

And then four years ago, she – Sakura – had enrolled in the same school Rin was in. Though it was done at Kirei's behest – he _was_ her guardian – she had known and ignored the fact that Rin would see it as a challenge, and followed his direction willingly.

Rin – then a member of the Student Council as representative of her class – had tried to answer the challenge by ostracizing Sakura, both among the general population and in the council, the latter because as the one with the highest grades in her class Sakura was naturally-appointed class representative. It failed though, seeing as the chairman at the time was also the President of the Calligraphy Club, and he quickly recognized Sakura's skills in _that_ field.

" _And because of that…_ " Sakura thought wearily. " _…Rin turned down the position of class representative the next year, and every year after._ "

The situation had settled into a stalemate after that, Sakura gaining popularity and eventually becoming Vice Chairwoman of the Student Council. But Rin remained quite popular too, with the open secret of the feud between them becoming romanticized into a rivalry of sorts.

And now this: the secret apprentice, his deliberate ignorance of her, and Rin's reiterated disdain for Sakura's authority. And Sakura would respond by involving Rin's grandfather.

 _When will this end?_

 _When one of us is dead? Forced to leave…?_

 _I didn't want this. By the Root…by God even…I didn't want this._

Sakura stared blankly down at the paper for several minutes, and then with a sigh she reached to fold it. Opening a drawer, she pulled out an envelope and some red wax, followed by the Tohsaka family seal. That last was actually a mystic code in its own right, meant to encode a variety of security spells for a variety of purposes.

Sliding the folded letter into the envelope, she closed the flap and used a nearby candle to melt the wax. The molten wax fell drop by drop onto the thick paper of the envelope, and once there was enough Sakura stamped down with the family seal. Prana briefly flickered into visibility, security spells slipping into place as Sakura removed the seal.

Replacing the seal and the cooling rod of wax back in their drawer, Sakura briefly toyed with the letter before sighing and tossing it back on the table. " _Appropriate punishment…?_ " she thought while playing with a lock of her hair. " _At the time…for a long while after the incident I didn't really care. I didn't care about her. I didn't care about other people, or the world around me. All I cared about was making sure it never happened again. Now in hindsight, I…_ "

Sakura laughed sadly. "So she was right…in a way…" she said. Running a hand down her face, Sakura waved a hand through the air, the air fogging up as an ethereal mirror flickered into existence.

"If things were different…" she murmured, staring at her reflection. "…would I…would she…would things be better between us?"

At a thought the image shifted, dark hair and bright blue eyes turning to purple, until Sakura Matou was staring back at Sakura Tohsaka. "Would we be happier?" she murmured, and leaned back as she dispelled the illusion. Closing her eyes, she let her mind drift, thoughts and memories coming and going without coherence.

 _Cherry blossoms were flying in the wind._

 _Three people were in a park. There was a woman with dark brown hair, with the general appearance of a housewife, along with a pair of young girls. The older of the girls had her long hair in pigtails, and wore a white blouse over a dark skirt, and she was holding out a dandelion to her sister._

 _The younger girl had her hair cut short, and wore a red shirt over a black skirt. Unlike her openly-cheerful sister, she was shy, and slowly took the dandelion and only let a little of what she felt show as she shook the dandelion and sent the seeds flying in the breeze._

 _In that way, she was much like their mother, who looked on quietly with a small smile at her daughters as they watched the dandelion seeds fly away with the cherry blossoms…_

" _What am I doing?_ " Sakura thought while keeping her eyes closed. " _What's the point in doing this?_ "

 _I don't want you to leave._

 _From now on…my name is Rin Matou. Do your best Sakura, until we meet again as magi._

" _I did…only…it wasn't good enough._ " Sakura thought but keeping her eyes closed as the memories shifted again.

 _Do you want to be sisters again?_

 _Why are you doing this?_

 _I didn't want you to leave._

 _Is that so?_

 _I…I just wanted to be like you. I wanted…papa and mama…I wanted them to smile at me like they did at you. But…that's why…I…I want things to go back to how they used to be so…do…do you want to be sisters again?_

 _Is that so…because you know what…I…I really…I really hate you…_

… _sister…?_

 _I wish…I wish you had never been born._

 _Lightning…pain…screams…darkness…so much pain…just pain…everything is pain…there is nothing but pain…every breath…every nerve…every cell is filled with pain…death…death and no more pain…_

Sakura's eyes flew open, and she doubled-over with a gasp, sweat pouring down her face at the memories from eight years ago. The incident…what came after…the challenge and the light in the darkness…the trial…and then…a new chance at life…

Shakily reaching up, Sakura ran a hand through her hair and still breathing hard glanced at the letter in front of her. And then slowly, she made her decision, and reaching out touched her finger against the seal. It flared once and the letter crumbled to dust.

"I don't want to be like you anymore."

* * *

 _A young man with silver hair and tanned skin sat in a cell, his eyes staring stoically in front of him, wearing drab prison coveralls. A heavy door ground open and then slammed shut down the corridor. "Number fifty-seven…!" a guard shouted. "You have a visitor!"_

 _The young man blinked and turned his head to look at his cell's door. Soft footsteps could be hear making their way in his direction, and his eyes widened as he saw who it was. Long, elaborately-curled blonde hair…an rich dress of blue trimmed in white with long sleeves…a pretty face heavy with regret, and sadness…_

 _The young man chuckled. "What took you so long?" he asked._

" _How can you laugh at a time like this?" the young woman demanded._

 _The young man chuckled again. "So what's the verdict?" he asked._

 _The young woman looked surprised, then saddened, and looked away as pain showed on her face. For a few moments she just stood there, biting her lip, and then she looked back to him, her face a mask of anguish. "The council…" she said, her voice breaking. "…they've…they've forbidden your assistance, on pain of a sealing designation. They say…they say you're too much of a risk. A maverick…someone who doesn't understand how things are meant to be done…that's why…"_

" _They'll let the Russians kill me?" the young man said with a note of resignation, as though he already knew. "Somehow I'm not really surprised."_

" _WHY?" the young woman shouted and grabbed the bars in front of her. "Why go this far? You knew the consequences…you were warned…you could have…we could have…"_

 _Words failed the young woman, tears slipping down her face as she fell silent, her forehead coming to a rest against the bars. The young man glanced in her direction, and his mask of nonchalance finally failed, giving way to regret, and sadness. He sighed and looked away._

" _I don't know how to live any other way."_

" _That's a lie and you know it." The young woman whispered. "Why did you stop trying? We were happy together. You…me…Viima…we were happy together…we could have raised her together…watched her grow into a woman…fall in love and get a family of her own…grown old and died together…so why?"_

" _I told you, I…"_

" _LIAR…!" the young woman screamed, and the young man flinched back. "Liar…liar…you're a liar…"_

" _I'm sorry Luvia."_

 _Silence consumed them for a few minutes, and then Luvia wiped her eyes. "Are you really?" she asked._

" _For you…and Viima…yes…"_

 _Luvia laughed bitterly. "That's so like you." She whispered. "You feel sorry for leaving us alone like this, but you don't sorry at all for everything or anything you've done…always risking yourself for other people…trying to be a hero…at the cost of everything else…your family…your happiness…"_

" _I think I understand now…" the young man said with a bittersweet note. "…what that bastard said a long time ago."_

 _Luvia looked at him curiously. He looked at her sadly. "He said that heroes didn't save people." He said. "He said that they bore the weight of the world on their shoulders. And that if all the evil of the world were thrown against him then it should at least be triple the amount."_

 _Luvia's face twisted, and she began to cry again. "I don't want a hero." She sobbed. "I want my husband back. I want my daughter's father back. I…I…I…"_

 _The young man blinked and looked away, blinking away tears of his own. Silence consumed them again, and then the young man rose, and came closer. "I'm sorry." He said. "I really am. For leaving you and Viima alone…then and now…and for not being able to give up that man's ideals…and losing everything else…I…"_

 _Luvia reached out with a hand, slowly, and caressed the young man's face. "I will always love you." She whispered. "No matter how long…always remember…I will always…love you."_

" _Luvia…" the young man whispered, and embraced his wife through the bars of his cell. "…goodbye…"_

" _Goodbye."_

Rin's eyes flew open, and carefully extracting herself from Shirou's embrace sat up. She felt something wet on her cheeks, and reaching up with her fingers found tears.

 _She hadn't cried in a long time._

 _It was wasteful, and meaningless._

 _Tears never solved anything._

 _Why then…?_

"Was that…no…those _were_ my Servant's memories." Rin said with a sigh. "A Heroic Spirit from the future…? It's not impossible, but…what are the chances?"

Rin sighed, and sat silent in the Moonlight filtering through the wood and paper doors of the room. After several moments she turned to look at the boy sleeping on the futon beside her. They didn't have sex tonight, just…sleep, taking comfort in each other's close presence. And looking at him now, sleeping so peacefully…

Rin couldn't help but smile at the sight. And then the smile faltered, as she remembered her Servant's memory. " _What incredible sadness…_ " she thought. " _…to think it could affect me too…who were you? What did you do? What was your legend, that your own left you to die in a foreign country?_ "

* * *

The following morning dawned cloudy and overcast, Shirou yawning as he took a seat at the table. Rin bustled about in the kitchen, pots and pans bubbling away to the accompaniment of the clinking of cutlery and silverware.

For a time Shirou contented himself by letting the soothing mundaneness of everyday housework carry him away, but eventually he began to get an urge to do something useful. He never was one for being idle, usually something praiseworthy though some – such as Rin (sometimes) or Taiga (usually) – said he took it to a fault.

Though, he'd since learned not to bother Rin while she was cooking. She let him help cleaning and washing up, but if she was cooking then the kitchen was hers and hers alone until she was done.

Otherwise she'd walk out and let others take care of the rest.

"Where's Saber and Archer?" Shirou asked as Rin arrived with a big bowl of miso soup.

"Lounging in one of the guest rooms." She replied, and Shirou stared.

"Aren't you going to invite them to breakfast?" he asked, and this time it was Rin's turn to stare.

"Have you told Fujimura-sensei that you're a magus?" she asked.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Shirou asked back.

"Simple: how do you explain who and what those two are?" she asked.

"T-that's…"

"In any case Servants don't need to eat, or indeed, any form of sustenance." Rin said with a shrug of dismissal. "As long as they have enough prana…"

"Rin…" Shirou interrupted unhappily. "…that's inhospitable."

"Then think of something to explain their presence." She said. "Or wait until Fujimura-sensei leaves, though I suppose it would be rude to give them only leftovers. Assuming there are leftovers, of course. You know how Fujimura-sensei is."

Shirou hummed as he crossed his arms in thought. "How about I take some food over for them before Fuji-nee arrives?" he offered. "That way we won't need to cover for them, and make sure they don't feel left out."

Rin thought it over for a bit and then shrugged. "Alright…" she said. "…wait a bit, I'll prepare their portions."

Shirou nodded and did as asked, and in ten minutes or so was walking slowly and carefully with a heavily-loaded tray to where the Servants were lounging. He found Saber seated Japanese-style on the floor in the middle of the room, while Archer was leaning casually against a corner and keeping his eyes away from Saber.

They turned to him as he arrived, and Shirou unexpectedly found himself wary of Archer. Something about his gaze seemed…judging, somehow, and he didn't like it.

 _Then again, who likes being judged?_

"Right, um…" Shirou said as he set the tray down on a nearby low table. "…sorry about not having you join us but…uh…my sister, she doesn't know I'm a magus, or the Holy Grail War for that matter. And I'd like to keep it that way so, please understand."

Shirou bowed low, and Saber nodded her understanding. Archer just seemed amused, rubbing Shirou the wrong way but the boy kept it under control. "Understandable…" Saber said. "…and the provided portions for Archer and me appear generous. You have my thanks."

Archer nodded at that. "Yeah, I understand." He said. "Thanks for the meal, and sorry for putting you through the trouble of bringing it to us."

Shirou nodded and made to leave. "You're welcome…" He said, but anything more he had to say was cut off as a woman's loud shout echoed through the house. "…that's my sister, so I'll have to leave you two now. Sorry…"

Saber and Archer nodded, and Shirou rushed off, Archer's eyes following the direction of his receding footsteps. Saber noticed, and turned her attention to Archer who upon noticing met her eyes. Two pairs of determined eyes met and locked together for several moments, but it was Saber who broke the stalemate.

"Our breakfast is getting cold." She said before getting to her feet and heading for the table.

Archer smiled and nodded. "Yes, I suppose it is." He agreed.

* * *

"Well?" Rin asked as she and Shirou washed the dishes after breakfast. Taiga had as usual gone on ahead, and now Saber and Archer were present, the Servants seated on opposite sides of the table as the Masters worked in the kitchen. "Have you made your decision yet?"

"About what…?"

"The Holy Grail War, obviously…!" Rin snapped. Shirou glanced curiously at her.

"I thought I already did last night." He said, and it was Rin's turn to glance curiously at him.

"So you're really going to fight this war not because you have a wish, but to keep someone…unworthy, from reaching the Grail?"

"You know…" Shirou said with a rare mischievous smile. "…you could say that wanting to keep someone who shouldn't have it from the Grail is a wish of its own, isn't it?"

Rin snorted, and then actually laughed. "Okay that was clever." She said. "But seriously, is that your only reason for fighting?"

"Yes." Shirou said firmly. "As I said last night, I don't want to wish for something I didn't really earn or achieved. Well, you could say I earned it, since I had to fight a war to reach the Grail, but that's just an excuse, isn't it? I only worked to reach the Grail, and everything that comes after is the Grail's work. Can you see where I'm going?"

"Yes." Rin said. "But with that said, haven't you heard of ends justifying the means?"

"Do you actually believe in that?" Shirou asked neutrally.

Rin didn't answer at once. As a magus, she should. Magi should and did kill their Humanity to pursue the Root, committing atrocities and inflicting untold horror if necessary to open a path. In pursuit of that goal, either for one's self or for some descendant further down the line, ends did justify the means.

But…what did that mean for her?

Wasn't her existence, a nest for worms an example of ends justifying the means?

If she accepted such a maxim, did she really…could she really justify aiming to free herself from her place in life? Shouldn't she embrace it instead, _breeding_ worms and later on a new generation of Matou magi, all for the sake of reaching the Root be it sooner or later?

"No…" Rin whispered, and Shirou's eyes widened in surprise as he saw Rin bend the fork she was holding, so tight was her grip. "…I don't."

Shirou looked troubled, but silently took the fork and un-bent it. "I don't know why that agitated you like this…" he said softly. "…but I can see it's something personal. So I won't ask, and instead I'll trust you to tell me when you're ready to tell me. Alright…?"

Rin said nothing at first, eventually nodding slowly. "Thank you." She said.

Shirou smiled, and was briefly tempted to kiss her on the forehead, but remembering that they weren't alone decided to simply grip her arm instead. "So…" he began. "…we'll be fighting together then?'

"I don't see why not." Rin said with a cough, welcoming the change in topic. "Though, you might have trouble with my wish later on, even if you don't actually have one. And there are our Servants' wishes to consider."

"Well…" Shirou said scratching at his head. "…our Servant's wishes being a problem will be a problem for later. We still have other Masters and Servants to worry about now."

Rin smiled and nodded. "True enough…" she said.

"Though…"

"Hmm…?"

Shirou scratched his head again. "I don't want to force you to believe in what I believe in but…" he said hesitantly. "…I hope you at least think about, you know, not using a wish to get what you want…"

Shirou looked uncomfortable, and Rin understood. She chuckled and nodded. "Don't wish for something because you won't value it?" she said. "I'll think about it. But that's all I'm promising for now, alright?"

Shirou smiled and nodded. "Yeah…" he said. "…I think that's fine for now."

"Allies in this war then…?"

"Allies…"

* * *

A/N

I admit to using 'creative license' towards EMIYA and Luvia, though not too far: Fate/Hollow Ataraxia does reveal an alternate timeline where somehow they're partners in the Mages Association.

What, did you expect Sakura to actually tattle to Zouken? You underestimate me I am not nearly as inexperienced an author as I used to be.


	9. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I do not own the Fate franchise it belongs to Kinoko Nasu and Type-Moon.

Different Fates

Chapter 8

 _The priest entered the room with an expression of bemusement on his face. As usual, the room was lit by candles on brass candelabra instead of modern electric lighting, but guessing from the amount of melted wax hanging off the candelabra and the stubs piled up in the waste basket, they'd been replaced a lot recently._

 _In the golden light of the candles, the priest surveyed the room. Several of the bookshelves had been cleared, their contents standing in neat piles on the floor nearby. Others stood in the Workshop's main desk, surrounding a girl of eight as she wrote on a sheet of paper. Other papers, heavy with her writings, were piled up next to her, and a beat-up notebook was also present._

 _The priest also noticed that dirty plates were piled up nearby, on another table, along with empty glasses and a half-empty pitcher. Bemusement gave way to complete puzzlement._

" _Sakura…" he said, and the girl stopped writing to look at him over her shoulder. There was no feeling or life in her blue eyes, no childish delight or vengeful anger at his presence. There was simply nothing. They saw, and that was it._

" _Kirei-san…" she said in recognition. And like her eyes, her voice was empty, devoid of life. She spoke…she simply spoke._

" _I've heard you've skipped school for three days in a row." Kirei said. "As your guardian I've been contacted by your school, and here I am."_

" _I see." Sakura said, and turned back to her notes. "I've been busy."_

" _I can see that." Kirei said. "Busy with what?"_

" _Did you know?" Sakura asked after a moment. "Nagato Tohsaka believed that one could reach the Root through Nirvana. His daughter and the rest of my family after him chased after the Root through ordinary magecraft, but the books of ordinary magecraft say that finding a jewel in the desert is easier than reaching the Root."_

" _Oh?" Kirei said with surprised amusement. "You seek to become a sorceress?"_

" _Why not…?" Sakura answered. "It's what being a magus is about. But, ordinary magi sound like they've given up. No, the books say they've given up. They do what they do for their children, hoping they can reach it. But when it's their children's turn, they do the same. I don't want that. The answer isn't in ordinary magecraft at least I don't think so. So, I'll go back to Nagato Tohsaka's teachings, and become a sorceress by reaching Nirvana."_

 _Kirei laughed at that. "Back to basics…?" he asked._

 _Sakura looked over her shoulder. "You said that basics are the most important." She said. "Everything is built on them. Were you lying?"_

" _I never lie." Kirei said. "And yes, I did say that. But…what about 'ordinary magecraft' as you put it? Will you give up on it?"_

" _No." Sakura said, and turned back to her notes. "I know too much, and I want to know more. I can't give up on it. But…it's useless for reaching the Root. I'll just use it to help me along the way, that's all."_

 _Kirei laughed again. "That's a spell-caster's talk." He said. "Your father would be appalled."_

" _No…" Sakura said. "…I'm not a spell-caster. I'm still looking for the Root."_

" _And how will you reach the Root?" Kirei asked in a challenge. "No, I know you plan to use Nagato Tohsaka's theories on breathing and walking, but have you at least conceptualized how you intend to apply those theories?"_

 _In response, Sakura went through her books, notebooks, and papers, and pulled out a large and heavy hardbound volume. Struggling slightly with its weight, she got off her chair and walked over to Kirei. She held up the volume, and Kirei's eyebrows nearly met his hairline at the title._

 _Tales of the Kamakura: The Golden Age of the Samurai._

" _Will you help me, Kirei-san?" she asked. "Will you help me master the body, the sword, the bow and the lance, the iron fan and blade, and finally the spirit?"_

 _Kirei's face turned assessing, his dark, impenetrable and inscrutable eyes meeting Sakura's blue eyes. They were empty, lifeless, seeing but blank, and then recognition, understanding, and finally sympathy flashed in quick succession over Kirei's face before his expression returned to one of mild amusement._

" _So…" he said. "…by mastering your body and spirit you intend to internalize the Root, and in so doing achieve True Magic? Do you really think you could succeed?"_

" _I'm alive aren't I?"_

 _Kirei laughed. "Indeed…" he agreed, and reached out to pat her on the head. "…very well, I'll do what I can."_

 _The girl lowered the volume, and bowed low. "Thank you very much." She said._

Rider chuckled, opening his eyes from where he was slouched against one of the Tohsaka mansion's chimneys. "What an interesting dream…" he remarked as he watched the dawn break over the horizon. "…or was it a memory? Either way, it seems there's more to you than meets the eye, little lady."

* * *

"Take a look at this."

Rider looked on as Sakura placed a gem on the table between them. She tapped it once, and it projected an image above it of a small estate built in the traditional Japanese style. He made to speak, only to fall silent as images of Lancer and Shirou fighting appeared.

He watched in silence as Lancer kicked Shirou clear across the yard, through a door, and then followed him in. He stayed silent as the image stayed clear, and then there was a flash of blinding light, and then Lancer was flying out of the outhouse. Rider leaned forward, and his eyes narrowed as he saw Saber appear and engage Lancer in battle.

"How did you get this?"

Sakura shrugged. "I have the property under surveillance." She said as Lancer and Saber's battle played out and ended. "Even after that botched meeting with Rin, seeing as Emiya-senpai is her apprentice I thought I should keep an eye on him. A wise decision too, seeing how things turned out."

Sakura gestured, the image shifting to show the street outside and then the aborted battle between Archer and Saber. "How is it your…familiars, were able to get closer here than previously?" Rider asked.

"There's a bounded field around the Emiya property." Sakura answered. "It's a simple one, and I and mine can pass through it easily. But it detects anyone coming in or out very well, and I can't just take it down either: they'd notice. What's worse, they might not just simply replace it."

"What do you mean by that?"

Sakura smiled. "Either it's been overlooked…" she began. "…or there wasn't reason to do so beforehand, the magical defences of the Emiya property are anaemic to say the least. That might change in the future, but there's no need to help them realize that."

"I see."

The image shifted again, showing Rin, Shirou, and their Servants retreat back into the property. Watching from the outside, the familiars showed the discussion, and then the Masters and their Servants retire for the night. Sakura ended the projection. "What do you think?" she asked.

"I'd say Archer and Saber have formed an alliance." Rider replied. "No doubt it's one of convenience, but it's still an alliance for all that."

"Yes, and that's going to be a problem." Sakura said, and crossed her arms over her chest. "Do you think you can handle Saber and Archer at the same time?"

"I don't plan on throwing my life away needlessly, even a borrowed one as this."

"I don't plan on dying myself anytime soon." Sakura agreed with a nod. "We're going to have to break this alliance, or failing that, defeat its members one by one. Divide and conquer, and don't let an enemy concentrate their forces."

Rider nodded his agreement. "That is a sound strategy." He said, and then glanced at Sakura. "By the way, what of the priest's advice…?"

Sakura didn't answer at once, instead smiling cryptically after a few moments. "I don't need an old man's help to beat his granddaughter." She said.

 _You're still stronger than I am, aren't you?_

 _But David beat Goliath, so even if you're stronger than I am, I can still beat you._

"Is that so?" Rider said with a smile of his own. "Then I'll expect you to live up to those words."

* * *

"Are you sure about this?" Shirou asked softly as he and Rin walked to school together. Rin stopped walking and looked at Shirou appraisingly. Shirou stopped walking as well, and stared back at Rin. He blinked as she stepped closer, and then his eyes went wide when she grabbed him by the collar to pull him in for a kiss.

For a few moments, his arms flailed wildly, and then relaxing, gently took Rin by the shoulders. After a few moments they separated, flushed and breathing heavily. " _A connection…?_ " Shirou asked silently.

" _Don't talk about strategy out in the open._ " Rin replied unhappily. " _...who knows who might be watching or listening unnoticed? Caster…? Other Masters or Servants, though apart from Assassin Archer would have felt them by now. Sakura perhaps…?_ "

"Right…" Shirou sighed and then switched back to telepathy as they resumed their walk. " _…going back to my question, do you really think we should be bluffing like this?_ "

" _Probably not…_ " Rin silently scoffed to Shirou's surprise. " _…but with Saber's ability to enter astral form impaired by your accidental summoning we can't have a blonde Brit following you around everywhere you go, least of all at school._ "

" _Point…_ " Shirou conceded. " _…a Master walking around without his Servant nearby…either he's stupid or it's a trap, that's the idea right?_ "

" _Yup…_ " Rin said with a mental nod. " _…given how paranoid most magi are, they'll probably assume it's the latter. And in Sakura's case, she used this strategy earlier in the war. She probably won't expect anyone to try and use it against her, predicting that if they know she used it, then she'd be able to see through it in a heartbeat. No, a natural backstabber like her would probably see this as a trap of some kind…_ "

Rin trailed off, while Shirou's expression grew concerned. "Rin…" he said, and placed a hand on her shoulder. She glanced at him and sighed.

"The real danger is if she manages to develop a counter-trap that takes advantage of our strategy." She said, and Shirou narrowed his eyes.

"What do you mean by that?" he asked.

"I don't know and that's what worries me." Rin said. "It makes it all the harder to prepare a response if the worst happens and this strategy somehow got used against us."

"Rin…"

Rin stared at him in the eyes. " _If the worst happens and Sakura or_ _ **any**_ _enemy attacks…_ " she said silently. " _…don't even think, just do it: use a command spell, and summon Saber to your side at once, got it?_ "

Shirou stared back, his eyes meeting Rin's unflinching. And then he sighed and nodded. "Yeah…" he said, looking back at the street ahead of them. "…I got it."

" _Don't worry too much._ " Rin told him silently. " _And don't forget, I'm still here. So long as it's one-on-one, I'm sure Archer can handle it. He's the Knight of the Bow after all. And if it's more than he can handle, well, I'm sure he can hold out long enough for Saber to get here either on her own or by your summon. And with them together…_ "

Shirou nodded as Rin trailed off. "Yeah that's true." He said. Then he sighed and smiled at her. "So long as we stay together then, we should be fine."

Rin glanced at him in surprise and then laughed. "Yes…" she said. "…though the way you put it makes it sound so…romantic."

Shirou laughed nervously and with a slight flush. "True…" he said. "…though I didn't mean it that way."

"Don't let it get to you." Rin said, cheerfully taking him by the arm. "It was a complement."

"Right, right…"

* * *

Sakura blinked at the information her familiar sent back to her. " _Using a prana connection to facilitate telepathic communication…?_ " she thought. " _Not a bad idea…except you got sloppy. You talked quite a bit verbally, and who knows? You might have let slip a few clues in the process. What are you planning I wonder, big sister?_ "

Sakura continued to ponder her sister and her apprentice's strategy while walking to her classroom, all the while exchanging greetings and pleasantries as she passed friends and acquaintances along the way. Finally, she reached her classroom, and placing her bag beneath her desk sat down behind it.

For a while, she sat in silence, and then with a sigh reached under her desk. Rummaging through her things, she pulled out a leather case along with several sheets of paper. Glancing once at her wristwatch, she nodded and closed her desk. There was enough time.

Taking a short walk to the Calligraphy Clubroom, she entered and set up her things. And then pulling up her sleeves, Sakura delicately dipped her brush into the ink and began to write.

" _Sakura-kun…" the tall, moustachioed man in a black kimono with a white under-robe and obi called to an eight year-old girl leaving with the rest of the junior class. They wore kimonos like he did, but unlike him theirs were all white, except the hakama which were blue for the boys and red for the girls. "…stay please I have something to talk to you about."_

" _Yes Soujirou-sensei."_

 _Seta Soujirou the Fifth, Fifth Master of Tenken-Ryu Kenjutsu, waited until he and the girl were left alone before continuing. "You will be returning to Fuyuki tomorrow morning, won't you?" he asked._

" _Yes sensei."_

" _And you won't be returning to Kyoto until next summer, isn't that right?"_

" _Yes sensei."_

 _Soujirou nodded slowly. And then he walked over to one of the racks along the dojo's walls, and carefully lifted one of the katana stowed there. Unlike kendo schools or even most of the few kenjutsu schools left in modern Japan, Tenken-ryu did not use shinai for training and practice, instead making use of actual steel swords. Blunted ones for children, but sharpened ones for adults._

 _Indeed, adult practitioners of Tenken-ryu were required to sign waivers considering they trained and practiced with live weapons._

 _Soujirou drew the sword slowly, and held it up. Sunlight gleamed along the blade, especially along the sharpened edge. "Tell me Sakura-kun…" he said. "…what is a sword?"_

" _The sword is a weapon."_

" _And what does it mean to learn how to use a sword?"_

" _It means learning how to kill, and learning how not to kill."_

" _Precisely…" Soujirou said with a nod, and sheathed the sword. "…the sword is a weapon. Just that: it's a weapon. It's only as deadly as the one who carries it. You can learn how to kill with it, but you also learn how not to kill with it."_

 _He paused and glanced at Sakura, and placing his hand on her shoulder guided her to the front of the dojo. "In one word: control." He continued. "Your guardian tells me you suffered a personal tragedy recently."_

 _He paused, and seeing no change in her expression or flicker in her eyes continued. "I won't ask you tell me what it was." He said. "Some things are not meant to be told, save when the speaker wishes to speak of it."_

" _Thank you very much."_

" _But…" Soujirou continued. "…as your sword master, I can't help but be worried about you. You have very good form, Sakura-kun. In the past few months you've been here, you've taken to the katas like a duck takes to water. But, your form lacks spirit. This can be hidden in rote practice, but not in practice matches, where your reflexes slow, and you lack initiative. And in the philosophical side of Tenken-ryu, you know but you do not understand. And you cannot, not as you are now."_

 _Master and student came to a halt in front of the dojo. A black-and-white picture of a cheerful if not outright whimsical young man in a kimono was hung near the ceiling: Seta Soujirou the First, Founder and First Master of Tenken-ryu. A pair of scrolls hung down from the picture, each bearing calligraphic inscriptions that Sakura couldn't read. There were after all, ten thousand characters in Japanese, and she was only eight._

" _Sakura-kun…" Soujirou said. "…I won't tell you to get over it. Such is meaningless and unbecoming of an instructor. Instead I'll tell you_ _ **how**_ _to get over it, and to regain control over yourself."_

" _Control…over myself…?"_

" _Yes." Soujirou said with a nod. "If you cannot control that which is within, how can you hope to control that which is without?"_

" _How…?"_

" _Study calligraphy." Soujirou said with a smile. "I won't spoil the discovery for you, but I promise you Sakura-kun, calligraphy will help you step forward."_

He was right of course.

Calligraphy was an art. Everything had to be carefully honed. Everything had to be carefully balanced. Everything had to be carefully controlled. The strength of one's hand, the fluidity of the strokes, the firmness and gentleness both of one's grip…those were but a few factors needed to create something elegant, profound, and yet unique.

Any child or dilettante could make scribbles with ink.

Any scribe could transcribe in characters.

But only a calligraphist could express single characters or words in a way that was truly theirs, and evoke awe that something so simple could be whole worlds of their own. Sakura would even say that it was a magic of its own. After all, even masters of the same school of calligraphy had incredibly-subtle differences between their works, which only true connoisseurs of art and culture, and fellow masters could perceive and appreciate.

Sakura was far from that level though. She was good, but she was operating under no illusions. It would be at least twenty, maybe thirty years before she could claim to have mastered calligraphy.

But even then, eight years ago, her faltering but steadying forays into the art were enough to restore the balance and control shattered by her sister's cruelty and rejection. It allowed her to regain her sense of self, spirit where the gift of the Golden King which had restored her flesh could not.

And as her sword master had promised, it allowed her to take a step forward, and continue to master both what was within and what was without.

Her hands flowed through the air, guiding the brush into painting the characters in ink on paper. _Chikaku_ :perception. _Chie_ : wisdom. _Shinjitsu_ : truth. _Riyuu_ : reason. _Ronri_ : logic. And as she painted words on paper, she ran through the audible parts of the intercepted communication, allowing balance and control to calm her thoughts, and see and weigh what would otherwise be clouded by emotion and bias.

 _The real danger is if she manages to develop a counter-trap that takes advantage of our strategy…it makes it all the harder to prepare a response if the worst happens and this strategy somehow got used against us._

 _So long as we stay together then, we should be fine._

 _Yes…though the way you put it makes it sound so…romantic._

 _True…though I didn't mean it that way._

 _Don't let it get to you…it was a complement._

 _Right, right…_

Sakura smiled. So that's what it was. It wasn't just lovers talking, no matter how much it sounded like it was.

She painted a final word. _Shouri_ : victory.

* * *

"Saber's not here." Rider said.

"Well that explains why they're not confident splitting up." Sakura said. The two of them were on the school's roof at morning break, protected from spies by multiple bounded fields. "Though, it doesn't make sense. Archer is here isn't he?"

"Yes." Rider confirmed. "I assume that though from the Servant's proximity to the Matou girl."

Sakura leaned back against the rail, her arms crossed over her chest. "It doesn't make sense." She eventually repeated. "I can understand _why_ they'd be uncomfortable splitting up: Emiya-senpai is apparently not a very good magus, probably not on the same level as either me or Rin. He's an obvious weak link, even more so as his…reduced potential would be a burden on Saber. That class is the highest-performing, but also high on prana requirements. Not as high as Berserker or Caster, but they're still high."

"A feint perhaps…?" Rider offered. "Or is it a trap?"

"That can't be right." Sakura said. "It could be pulled off though. Masters moving around without their Servants are obvious bait. Anyone with a bit of sense would see that, and proceed cautiously. Of course, they could just ignore it and spring the trap regardless, with the Masters summoning their Servant or have them pounce from a short distance away."

"And if the trap isn't sprung?"

"Then the Masters get freedom of movement, their enemies paralyzed by the deception."

"Hmm…"

"But…" Sakura continued. "…why is only one Servant missing? It doesn't make any sense at all. They're obviously concerned about being divided, and yet here they are: divided. One of their own is elsewhere, possibly in either the Emiya property or at the Matou property. Why would that be the case?"

"Maybe she's protecting something?" Rider mused.

"It's possible." Sakura murmured. She stayed silent, deep in thought for a few minutes. "What do you think Rider?"

"You're asking me?"

"You have more experience than I do."

"Humph…so I do." Rider snorted. "Are you sure that Emiya boy ranks below you and that Matou girl in witchcraft?"

"Emiya-senpai…?" Sakura echoed, and then thought on it for several moments. She recalled her past – and only – meeting with the boy as a magus. "He certainly seemed awed and ignorant at a relatively-simple application of jewel magecraft. Though, he could have been faking that, and technically he's Rin's apprentice. The Matou magecraft is focused on familiars, and as Rin's apprentice his magecraft would be based on hers to an extent."

Sakura paused, her expression indicating further thought. "With that said, _he's Rin's apprentice_." She said. "Rin has more firepower than I do, but we're probably on the same level generally-speaking. Again, speaking generally based on that Emiya-senpai should rank below us."

"Then it's still probably just a feint like you described." Rider concluded. "In fact it's the only way it makes sense, apart from Saber protecting something at either of our enemies' homes. Only in this case, they've made the bait sweeter by exposing the weakest link: that Emiya boy."

Sakura hummed but didn't say anything. She lowered her face in thought, and it took a minute or so before she raised it to speak. "If that's the case, then we should attack." She said.

Rider raised his eyebrow. "You would spring a potential trap?" he asked.

"It's possible their fears of getting divided are faked." Sakura conceded. "Rin's definitely as good as I am. In hindsight, her 'sloppiness' in that intercepted conversation this morning could have been bait for anyone watching. She probably wants someone to attack, or to try and divide them."

"But…?"

"Doing nothing and letting them do as they please doesn't sit right with me." Sakura said. "We just have to find a way to draw Rin and Archer away, and then take the bait and eliminate the other half of the opposition. And if it is a trap, well, I'll be counting on you."

Rider laughed loudly. "It seems that we think alike." he said. "Sitting still and doing nothing in the face of an enemy was never something that sat well with me. And don't worry about it: if it's one-on-one, I can handle Saber."

Sakura smiled and shrugged. "Masters and Servants tend to resemble each other." She said softly, briefly closing her eyes as she did so. "With that said though, the question now is how to draw Archer and Rin away, either indefinitely or far away enough to keep them from butting in."

"Why don't you do it like you did the last time?"

"Tempting…" Sakura replied. "…but it wouldn't work. Rin's not stupid. I've done it once, and it worked then. She won't have forgotten so soon, and she'd see through it…at…once…"

Sakura trailed off, and narrowed her eyes. "Did you know that in algebra…" she began. "…you can still get the same result even if you change the variables?"

"What?"

Sakura just smiled, as the school bells rang the end of morning break. "Thank you Rider." She said. "Maybe that just might work."

* * *

A/N

Setting up a Heaven's Feel scenario where Rin Matou cracks is hard, given she doesn't let the damage pile up on the inside like canon Sakura (though we can't really blame canon Sakura for that) did, as here she distracts herself by studying magecraft on her own, getting an apprentice/lover of her own, and even tries to find a way out by implicitly making the same deal with Zouken that Kariya did. And of course she isn't constantly humiliated by Shinji raping her. It's doable though. And part of that requires that I make Sakura a vision (?) or a symbol of everything Rin could have been otherwise.

They are sisters after all, and they think alike to an extent. In Heaven's Feel, Sakura's insecurities and fears that Rin might steal Shirou from her (which somehow doesn't factor-in in UBW) was part of her reason for finally cracking under the strain. So, make Sakura Rin's 'I could have been', push her closer to Shirou, and a few other things…and Heaven's Feel here we come.

All we have to do is up the pressure, crack the stone, and we have a situation where Sakura and Shirou have to kill the monster and save the girl. Or die trying…would you like me to make this a Bad End?

Heads up, after I finish this arc, I'm heading back to Moonlit Fate for a while. Bloody hell, I go away for a few months to work on other projects, and when I check in I've got over THREE HUNDRED favourites and over **FIVE HUNDRED** followers for that story. And it only has TEN chapters so far. I owe it to get back to them.


	10. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I do not own the Fate franchise it belongs to Kinoko Nasu and Type-Moon.

Different Fates

Chapter 9

"Matou-senpai…" Sakura said cheerfully as she walked up to the purple-haired boy. "…can we talk?"

Shinji Matou looked at her suspiciously, turning away from the classmate he'd been talking to at the time. "What is it?" he asked.

"My apologies…" Sakura said with a small bow. "…I meant can we talk privately?"

"What's so important that it can't be talked about in public?"

Sakura didn't reply, instead locking gazes with Shinji. She had no Mystic Eyes, but Shinji flinched and gave way with a sigh after only a few moments. Excusing himself, he followed Sakura up to the roof. "What's this all about?" he demanded once the door had closed and – without his knowledge – bounded fields fell into place around them. "If it's about the Holy Grail War I don't know anything, and even if I do it's worth my life to squeal. So…!"

"I want to ask you a favour." Sakura said, cutting Shinji off. The boy fumbled for a moment, and then caught himself.

"Favour…?" he echoed. "The great Sakura Tohsaka asking me for a favour…? What's the world come to?"

"Well for starters it's something only you can do." Sakura said with a shrug. A little flattery never hurt, though in Shinji's case it just bounced off. The boy was clearly very wary of her. Wise…but ultimately meaningless: Sakura _would_ get her favour, one way or another, though a part of her felt…regretful, if worse came to worst.

 _I'm no different from her in the end._

"Oh really…?" Shinji asked. "So what's this favour you need me to do?"

"It's simple really." Sakura said with a small smile. "You see I need to separate your sister from Emiya-senpai. Together they're…troublesome, for me you see. But Emiya-senpai is the weak link, for reasons I don't intend to discuss. It's better not to know, I suppose. But if I'm to expose that link to break it, I need your sister out of the way. And I'm going to need your help to do that."

"I think I can see where this is going." Shinji said while frantically shaking his head. "The answer is no Tohsaka. This is worth my life and…!"

"Of course I understand that your assistance in this matter would be seen as…treason, by your family." Sakura interrupted. "After all, what I need you to do is to pretend to deliver a message from Zouken Matou, the one person who can bring Rin Matou to heel. I don't care what you say, what lies you have to weave, or what tricks you have to pull Rin Matou has to be on the way to the Matou property once classes end for the day. Now…"

"Didn't you hear me Tohsaka?" Shinji interrupted in his turn, angrily shouting at the younger girl. "The answer is no! There is no way I am…!"

"As I was saying…" Sakura interrupted. "…this will be seen as betrayal. As such, I am willing to offer protection. Not my personal protection, for reasons that are entirely my own, but I'm sure the Church would be more than accommodating…"

Sakura trailed off as Shinji stormed off to the door to leave, only to find himself unable to touch the doorknob. Or for that matter, to come within an inch of any part of its surface, each and every getting stopped by an invisible field of force. "It's called a bounded field, Matou-senpai." Sakura told him. She sighed. "There's probably not much point in talking further, but won't you at least seriously consider my request? It's not like you have a reason to be loyal to the Matou Clan. You are after all, bluntly-speaking, a reject. That's why my sister is now your sister. And why she treats you the way she does."

Shinji whirled, eyes ablaze with fury. Sakura met them without flinching, though she was surprised someone who always got pushed around like Shinji could have such anger in him. "Perhaps that was a poor choice of words…" Sakura said with a small bow. "…but my offer stands: I'm not asking for what little family secrets you know, Matou-senpai. I'm just asking you to play messenger for me, and I'll see to it you get protection afterwards."

Sakura paused and tilted her head. "And as I said…" she said. "…what reason do you have to be loyal to them?"

Shinji clenched his fists, looking down at the ground. There was anger there on his face, bitterness at being made to face the truth of his existence. But he couldn't deny it. But neither could he just ignore over a decade of ingrained fear and obedience to his 'family'. Not after what his grandfather had done to his mother. Not after what his grandfather had done to his uncle.

Not after what his sister had done to him.

"… _leave!" the eight year-old boy shouted at the other girl, who'd silently endured his tirade even as he accused her in every way of being nothing more than a common thief that had somehow managed to get into the family, steal their appearance and name, and now sought to steal their greatest secret and treasure: the magic that should be his, the rightful Matou heir._

" _Leave and never come back…!" he shouted again, and Rin just tilted her head to one side mockingly._

" _Do you want it that badly, what I already have?" she asked, and Shinji saw red._

 _With a scream of childish anger, he reared back and tried to backhand her with all he was capable of…'tried' being the key word. Instead she caught his arm before its hand could strike her face, and before he could react she stepped forward, bending and twisting his arm back as though she was ripping a branch from a tree._

 _He screamed as pain erupted from his destroyed shoulder, collapsing writhing and whimpering in agony on the ground at Rin's feet as she released his arm. She wasn't finished though, and a tearful but defiant glare turned to one of pure terror as she raised a foot over his leg. More insults and invectives turned to fresh screams as her reinforced limb broke his thigh bones, and Shinji collapsed crying, all anger and defiance gone._

 _He was after all, still just an eight year-old boy._

 _It didn't end there though. Ignoring his pleas, Rin had dragged him down by the hair all the way to the basement, right up to the very edge of the pit he'd spied her lying in during the previous night, her nude body writhing and covered with worms, insects, and all sorts of filth…the same filth that still writhed in the pit._

" _Is that what you really want?" she spat at him, pointing at the pit with her purple irises all but glowing with magical power. "Do you want those…things all over you…_ _ **in you? DO YOU?**_ _"_

 _Shinji broke, babbling and begging at the girl with purple eyes and hair and pale skin standing out like a demon in the darkness of the basement. With a sneer and a snarl of contempt, Rin turned and left him alone._

 _Left alone with nothing but the sound of…things crawling about in the darkness, Shinji cried for what felt like hours at the time, but he'd later learned was barely ten minutes. But then help finally came…_

 _Grandfather…_

 _Initially he'd rallied, showing off his injuries and accusing Rin of attacking him out of nowhere. To his horror the old man had simply laughed at him, and then had 'healed' him. He would never forget those…things the old man – if man he still was – had allowed to burrow into his leg and arm, and the sheer pain and wrongness as they writhed in his flesh._

 _It didn't matter if they left once his arm and leg were fine…_

… _it was at that moment, with the memory of what had just been done to him by his 'sister' and 'grandfather'…with the memory of what had been done to his mother…_

… _it was at that moment he realized the hollowness of his ambitions and dreams._

 _The Matou inheritance…? He should have known better._

He should say no. He should walk away. Not out of loyalty or anything truly admirable, but simply because the consequences of betrayal far outweighed any satisfaction he might gain from 'striking back' at the monsters who called themselves his 'family'. But despite what rationality, prudence, and instinct screamed at him to say no, and to simply walk away…

"What guarantee can you give me?" he found himself whispering.

 _Protection…Tohsaka offers protection._

 _Is it enough?_

 _Can I get away? Not just with betraying them, but from those monsters as well?_

"Father Kotomine is a retired Executor." Sakura said. "He can't help you until you reach his church, but once you're inside even your grandfather would be a fool to try and reach you. Though, you should make for the church once classes end for the day: I wouldn't want to be in your shoes once Rin discovers the masquerade. I'll give you a letter of introduction."

"This all sounds all well and good…" Shinji snarled. "…but what about after the war? I know enough that my grandfather – though not _our_ sister – wouldn't hold this against you. Not really: magi will be magi, and what you're doing is normal and probably even _expected_. Me…? I'll be a blood traitor…"

 _At this rate, I'll end up just like mother. A breeder to be used as needed and then thrown away afterwards. Worse, it'll probably be with her. Not with Rin…I won't have brats with her._

 _I don't want that._

 _I DON'T WANT THAT!_

"The Holy Church takes the concept of sanctuary very seriously." Sakura said. "I'm sure you'll find plenty of options available to you. I daresay you might even find a future in _our_ world with the Church, more than you could hope to gain by staying loyal to your family in this moment. In fact, I'll even ask Father Kotomine to discuss said options with you."

Shinji didn't reply, resolutely meeting Sakura's eyes instead. Sakura didn't break the gaze, the breeze picking up sending leaves, dirt, and their hair flying. It died down after a moment, and then Shinji spoke up. "How do I know you plan to keep your word?" he asks.

 _Tohsaka is still Rin's sister._

 _Even if Rin burned the bridges between them long ago, they still have the same blood._

 _The same blood…_

 _Can I trust them?_

 _Can I trust Tohsaka?_

"I'm not signing a geis, Matou-senpai." Sakura replied. "You'll just have to trust me. And you'll have to trust the fact that despite myself being arguably no better than she is, I'd like to think of myself as…better than her."

Her face fell at the last, and she looked away. After a few moments Shinji snorted. "Alright…" he said before shaking his head. "…but I won't trust in you. No, instead I'll trust in your pride Tohsaka. Let's see how much it's worth. Where do I get my introduction letter?"

Sakura glanced back at Shinji. "Come to the Calligraphy Clubroom after lunch." She said. " **AFTER** the message has been delivered, understood?"

Shinji snorted and nodded, and half-turned towards the door. "Understood…" he said. "…can I leave now?"

Sakura gestured and deactivated the bounded field, allowing Shinji to leave. The moment the door closed shut, Sakura's face twisted in disgust, and she spat to one side. As Rider materialized, Sakura sank down to sit on the ground, resting back on her arms.

She sighed and briefly closing her eyes, looked up at the blue skies. "What's wrong with you little lady?" Rider asked.

"I feel disgusted with myself." Sakura replied. "Engineering betrayal…? I've sunk so low."

"War is dirty business." Rider remarked. Sakura snorted.

"I know." She said. "It just didn't sink in until now, that's all."

Rider stayed silent for a few moments, and then he raised an eyebrow. "Sister…?" he laconically asked.

Sakura glanced at him with narrowed eyes. "It was my father's decision." She eventually said. "He only needed one heiress, and I was deemed more suitable. So she was sent away for adoption."

"To a rival family…?"

Sakura shrugged. "All magi are rivals." She said. "But some are closer than others. Allies of convenience or friendly rivals, you could say. The Matou and Tohsaka are such a case. Seeing as the Matou had no…worthy, heir and my family had a spare…"

Sakura trailed off, but Rider nodded his understanding. "To maintain the understanding between your families…" he said. "…the spare was given away. I've seen it before. Times have changed, but it seems the games played by the nobility haven't."

Sakura snorted derisive agreement, much to Rider's surprise, though she didn't say anything. For a time silence stilled the air, and then as the bells rang the end of morning break Rider spoke up as Sakura got to her feet. "What would you have done if the Matou boy had refused?" he asked.

Sakura didn't answer at once, patting herself down instead. "I'd have dominated his mind…" She replied while fixing her skirt. "…and made him perform the needed task regardless."

Rider snorted. "It is to be thanked then…" he said. "…that he accepted your offer."

"Indeed…" Sakura said. "…though even in that case, I'd have offered him sanctuary with the Church. One way or another, as long as he did what we needed him to do, then he should be rewarded."

Rider nodded his agreement, and Sakura made to return to the lower floors. "Let's go Rider." She said, and the Servant vanished into astral form.

* * *

"Rin…"

Rin glanced as her brother – well actually _stepbrother_ though few other people knew or needed to know that – approached her at lunch. She raised an eyebrow. "Well isn't this a surprise?" she remarked. "What's so important that you'd break with routine and approach me like this, little brother?"

Her tone was sweet and benign, but there was a hint of steel beneath it, causing Shinji to tense up and start sweating heavily. He tugged at his collar before speaking. "G-grandfather…" he stammered. "…he asked me to bring a message to you."

Rin looked back at Shinji from her lunch, her expression unreadable. "Go on." She said softly.

"He said you should come home tonight."

"It's not the weekend yet."

"Yes well…" Shinji fumbled, briefly looking away to wipe at his face with a handkerchief. "…with everything that's going on, he thinks that… that the usual weekend sessions might not be enough, so…"

"Adjustments need to be made…?" Rin finished, and Shinji jerkily nodded his head.

Rin looked away, seemingly staring into space in thought, but Shinji found himself rooted where he was standing. After several moments, Rin closed her eyes and chuckled bitterly. "My weekly reprieve ends early…?" she said, partly-opening her eyes. "…it's not the first time it's happened, and I know it could happen any time, but even so…I…"

She glanced sideways at her brother, who was standing looking all but petrified where he was standing. She narrowed her eyes and met his, and they shook, barely holding in place. She could see fear, terror, desperation, and…hope?

 _Now what could be…ah I see…is he hoping I won't lash out? Or that I'll ignore the summons? And suffer the consequences as a result…?_

 _Is that what this is, grandfather?_

 _A test…?_

 _After all, every time you've summoned me back early, you contacted me yourself, through the worms you've left in me._

 _And now that I'm a Master, along with my established habit of sleeping at Shirou's place whenever I can, are you trying to see if I remember my place?_

Rin's hands curled into fists, and Shinji flinched back. Rin looked away and chuckled. "Fine…I understand…" she said softly. "…I got the message. Now leave."

"Right after class…you I mean…grandfather said no side-trips or…"

" **LEAVE!** "

Shinji fled, and Rin turned back to her meal with a foul air.

 _Just a little more…just let me see this war to the end…once I win this…it can finally end…I'll be free…free…free…free…free…_

* * *

Outside the classroom, down the corridor and around a corner, Shinji slumped against a wall breathing hard. For several minutes he just stayed there, until with a final deep breath he stood up straight.

He'd done it.

HE'D DONE IT.

 **HE'D DONE IT.**

 _ **WHAT HAD HE DONE?**_

With another deep breath, he cautiously took a look around the corner and around him, and satisfied that no one he knew – or knew him – was around he cautiously went on his way. That wasn't really unusual, given he was – no matter how galling admitting it was – a usual target for bullies.

As such those who saw him pass by, whether on his grade or those below, either ignored him or noticed him only in passing. Finally, he reached his destination. Sliding open the doors, he stepped through the doorway and the threshold of the cunningly-hidden bounded field before the closing the doors behind him.

"Well done…" Sakura remarked. She was sitting casually at a table, a sealed letter on the table beside her. "…I saw the whole thing thanks to a familiar watching from a tree along the school's boundary. A bit far for Human eyes, but sparrow's eyes are surprisingly-sharp."

Shinji stayed silent. "The conversation was brief." Sakura continued after a moment. She picked up the letter and held it in one hand. "And rather interesting to boot. Weekend sessions…weekly reprieve…very curious…"

"Tohsaka…" Shinji said, and Sakura smiled at him.

"Do you expect me to ask for the meaning behind what you and her talked about?" she asked, and held his eyes. For several moments they just stared at each other, and then Shinji licked his lips, swallowed dryly, and looked away.

 _Tohsaka's eyes are brighter, softer, and have a different colour. But while they aren't as…obviously threatening as Rin's…they're so_ _ **deep**_ _._

 _And in those depths…there is…something…something so like Rin…_

 _Sisters…in blood…_

Sakura laughed and shook her head. "Don't worry…" she said. "…I won't ask. Most other magi probably would, but not me. And I'll even tell you why: your sister _is_ the Matou Master in this war, but that's the whole point. This action is on my part directed primarily at her. That it compromises the Matou investment in the war is just unfortunate collateral. But if I were to try and get what secrets you know – and you _might_ know more than I originally thought – then it would be an action against your family."

"Scared, Tohsaka…?" Shinji asked softly.

"Just prudent…" Sakura said with a small laugh. "…in a fair fight, I probably won't last long against Zouken, at least not without extensive preparation on my part."

She lifted the letter with slow theatricality, and then held it out. "As promised…" Sakura said. "…a letter of introduction. Your cooperation is most appreciated. Just make sure to get there as soon as you can, or it won't be of much use, if at all."

Silence fell, Sakura smiling softly while holding the letter out as Shinji stared at it. And then, slowly, he reached out and took the letter. He looked at it as Sakura lowered her arm, and then he glanced at her. "My pride's on the line." She said. "Just get to Kotomine Church, and our business will be concluded."

Shinji glanced back at the letter, and then to Sakura again. And then he slowly slid the letter into his jacket. "That's that then." He said, and Sakura nodded.

"Yes it is." She said.

"I'll be going then."

Sakura nodded again, and then Shinji turned and left. As the doors closed, Sakura leaned back in her chair and sighed. "Part One complete…" she said softly. She then glanced at Rider, who hovered invisibly near the windows. "…Part Two begins once classes end. I'll be counting on you, Rider."

" _You're taking a huge risk with this plan, little lady._ " The Servant replied telepathically.

" _I know_." Sakura silently replied. " _Victory goes to he who goes the furthest._ "

" _There's also such a thing called prudence._ "

Sakura chuckled. " _Yes…_ " she silently said. " _…I know._ "

* * *

"This sounds too suspicious for me." Shirou said to Rin. The two of them were talking in an out-of-the-way corner, students passing them by chattering as they left for their clubs, homes, or elsewhere after class. The sky outside the windows was already turning to the red and orange of Sunset, though it was still a couple of hours off. "We decide to stick together as part of our strategy, and on the same day this pops up. Something feels off."

"And normally I'd agree." Rin said. "But I don't see any indication _not_ to take my brother's summons from our grandfather at anything but face value."

"Couldn't Tohsaka have bribed or threatened him or something?"

Rin shook her head. "My grandfather is a harsh taskmaster." She said with surprising seriousness. "And he's not one to tolerate disrespect or anything of the sort. Do you really think someone like that would forgive treachery? You know magi Shirou. Family is…everything, to us."

Rin bit back her bitterness at those words, fighting to keep it from showing whether on her face, in her actions and eyes, and in her voice. Not completely, as Shirou looked ever so slightly concerned, but he didn't press the topic.

It wasn't his place.

And in any case, as far as he knew, it was only in the case of failure or discipline. He knew nothing of the nightmarish truth behind the façade the Matou Clan presented to the world.

 _And he would never know._

 _Not if she could help it._

"My brother would never dare risk...the consequences of being bribed or 'convinced' to assist Sakura." Rin continued after a long moment. "The only way that would happen is if Sakura used mental interference, and I'd have noticed if she had."

And even then, their grandfather would still have punished Shinji for not warning Rin afterwards of Sakura's plans and actions. Unless, of course, he remained under mental interference or his memories had been altered.

A part of Rin wondered if she should have checked deeper into her brother's mind than just a mere cursory scan. And the fact that Shinji had left school with surprising alacrity – according to Shirou who was in the same class as her brother – once classes had ended was more than a bit suspicious.

But…what if the message was real? The consequences of defying her grandfather, even if in response to a provocative action by an enemy during the Holy Grail War, didn't bear thinking.

 _What an idiot. This is what happens when you disobey grandfather._

 _Just rot…just rot and let the worms eat you…you deserve it…liar…liar…liar…liar…LIAR!_

"Rin…?" Shirou asked in concern, and Rin glanced at him. Apparently she'd spaced out.

"I'm fine." She said. "In any case Sakura's left as well, according to Archer. Apparently, Rider was with her, though her Servant's masking made it difficult to confirm at first. In any case I doubt Sakura would go around without a Servant at this point in the war."

"I am."

Rin laughed and shook her head. "The circumstances are completely different." She said.

"True…" Shirou said with a laugh of his own. "…alright, you go home and sort out whatever family business your grandfather has in mind. I'll finish up what needs be done here, and I'll head straight home."

"Finish…?" Rin echoed.

Shirou rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah…" he said. "…the student on afterschool cleaning duty had a date so…"

Rin reached out and flicked Shirou on the forehead. "Idiot…!" she hissed. "By the time you'll be finished it'll probably be dark! Bluffing is dangerous enough as it is but you…!"

"It'll be alright." Shirou interrupted, placing his hands on Rin's shoulders. "I'll head home straight afterwards, and if anything goes wrong, well, I have command spells. Don't worry: I don't plan on dying. After all…"

Shirou paused and actually winked at her. "I can't let someone we can't trust have the Grail can I now?" he finished.

Rin stared at him for several moments and then sighed. "Idiot…" she said. "…next time, consult me first. And stop trying to act cool. It doesn't suit you."

"It doesn't?"

Rin smiled and sighed again. "No, it doesn't." she said, and reached up to cup a cheek. "I like you better as you are. I'll trust you, so take care of yourself, alright?"

Shirou stared into Rin's eyes determinedly, and took hold of her hand with his own. "Yeah…" he said. "I will."

* * *

In an empty classroom on the ground floor, hidden behind concealed bounded fields, Sakura sat Japanese-style on the floor, _Muramasa_ sitting crosswise over her lap. " _Archer has withdrawn._ " Rider reported telepathically. " _Most likely he will rendezvous with his Master along the route to her home._ "

" _And leaving Emiya-senpai exposed._ " Sakura replied in kind. " _Just as planned…_ "

" _And should the Emiya boy summon his Servant by means of a command spell…?_ "

" _Then I would do the same for you._ " Sakura answered. " _You can handle Saber one-on-one, can you not?_ "

" _Impudent child…_ "

Sakura chuckled and fell silent. " _We'll wait a bit longer._ " She said while looking at her wristwatch. " _Enough time that any…large-scale eruptions of prana or violence won't catch Rin's attention and draw her back. In the meantime, continue to escort my double._ "

" _I know._ " Rider said. " _I'll just follow the plan: until you call on me, either by our connection or a command spell, I will escort your double home and remain there until called for._ "

Sakura nodded, though Rider couldn't see it. The emotion was conveyed though, and the connection fell silent. Sakura glanced down at her sword, regarding the sheathed blade in silence.

 _Will you be drawn tonight, Muramasa? Will you taste blood? Will you take a life? Or will you merely mark another?_

 _Either way, should you be drawn I will be counting on you, Muramasa._

* * *

A/N

Magi just keep on scheming and scheming and scheming in this chapter. How it'll all end will be revealed in time…

Count Valerian: yes, that assumption is correct.

Magister Fay: no, she doesn't know _tessenjutsu_ yet. She's only sixteen, barely an expert in _kenjutsu_. One thing at a time, or two, maybe three apart from magecraft, that is. I won't reveal her other specializations (spoilers), but she's not a master of any of them. Skilled amateur at the least, minor expert at most: that's all I'll say on the matter.

Der Furst: the prince, really? No spoilers.

What happened between Rin and Sakura eight years ago will be revealed before this arc ends, and then this story will go on hiatus while I return to Moonlit Fate.


	11. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I do not own the Fate franchise it belongs to Kinoko Nasu and Type-Moon.

Different Fates

Chapter 10

Shirou replaced the mop, broom, and other implements he'd used to clean up his classroom after class. It had been unusual for Takahashi – usually a studious student – to skip out like that for a date, but then again teenagers would be teenagers. Learning magecraft aside, it wasn't like Shirou couldn't relate.

" _Oh well…_ " Shirou thought as he closed the storeroom door. " _…that's done, so I guess I can go home now._ "

He turned his head and glanced out at the burning skies of the late afternoon, already shifting to the pastels of dusk. " _And just in time too._ " He thought. " _At this rate I should be home a short bit after it gets dark._ "

Nodding with satisfaction, Shirou turned and began to walk away. He'd barely taken a few steps when he felt…something, or someone, behind him. They weren't too close, but his gut was telling him he couldn't just keep his back turned, or keep walking. That person was also unmoving, as though waiting for his next move.

Shirou sighed. So that's what this was. Did she have a hand in Takahashi slacking off? Did he even have a date at all? And if not, did she find out and simply take the opportunity right in front of her? It didn't matter. Shirou turned and stared down the corridor at the enemy.

"You've got good sense Emiya-senpai." Sakura cheerfully remarked. Shirou stayed silent, and she chuckled. "I did warn you, didn't I? It was only last night too. Since you are Matou-senpai's apprentice, and she is my enemy in this Fifth Holy Grail War, you are also my enemy. Outside of ordinary existence, those were my words, weren't they?"

"They were." Shirou confirmed. "You sure move fast, don't you?"

Sakura laughed. " _Tenken-ryu_ favours speed and mobility over power." She said. "I merely apply those concepts."

"Humph…" Shirou snorted. "…so what now…? Are you going to attack me to get to Rin? I know you and her don't get along but…!"

"She and I go back a long way." Sakura interrupted. "Suffice to say we've both left our mark on each other. Unintentionally on my part…I never wanted to hurt her…"

Shirou looked surprised at that, and Sakura blinked as she realized she'd let something slip. "Well…" she said with an apologetic smile. "…it's not for me to tell. The scales are tipped towards her end. To tell the truth Emiya-senpai, I personally find it bad form to get at others through their friends and loved ones. If you were simply her apprentice, I'd have largely ignored you until you were directly contributing to her campaign. And you aren't right now. But…you're not just an apprentice, aren't you?"

Shirou narrowed his eyes. "So you know." he asked. It wasn't a question.

"I don't blame you or Matou-senpai for joining the war." Sakura said, pushing off the wall she'd been leaning on. Shirou looked even warier now, noting the sword clipped to her waist. "Considering the prize at stake, not just magi even ordinary people would do everything and more that it takes to win. I have to wonder though: how will you split the prize? Only one Master can touch the Grail."

Shirou smiled. "That's just it isn't it?" he asked cryptically, and Sakura laughed.

"Fair enough…" she conceded. "…keep your secrets I have mine of my own. Moving on, I'll give you a piece of advice. Bluffing as you are doing is pointless at this point, or rather much too risky, especially considering the abilities of the Archer, Assassin, and Caster Classes. I only did so during the earliest stages of the war because we're not supposed to engage each other until all seven Servants have been summoned. But then Lancer's Master went on a rampage, necessitating…tighter security."

"Lancer did that…?" Shirou gasped, every word filled with realization and fury. Sakura nodded in confirmation.

"Yes he did." She said, and then tilted her head. "So I abandoned the bluff and closed the gap in my defences. Now as for you, won't you do the same, here and now?"

Shirou smirked. "Where's your Servant, Tohsaka?" he asked.

Sakura laughed. "Away…" she said. "…it only takes a thought to bring him to my side in an instant. And I suppose the same could be said for you. A fair fight, isn't it?"

"I think we can agree on that." Shirou said, his respect for the younger girl growing somewhat. Generally-speaking magi were capricious and treacherous, so it was a bit refreshing to see someone who wasn't.

 _Though, the only magi I know are Rin and her grandfather. And I've only met the latter once…and he certainly seemed, off, somehow._

"Just one question though…" Shirou said. "…how far did you go to set this battlefield up?"

"Well Matou-senpai will figure it out soon enough, so why not?" Sakura replied with a shrug. Inwardly a still and clear pool reflecting the waning Moon was shattered in waves of silver by a single drop of water, prana pumping through her circuits in the aftermath. "Shinji-senpai's cooperation tricked his sister away, and a bit of…persuasiveness, on my part managed to get Takahashi-senpai to delay you: the weak link in your alliance with the Matou."

At once what respect Shirou had for Sakura ebbed to a low point. He could understand that using mental interference on ordinary people by magi was unavoidable, usually when it came to keeping magic secret, but this…? This was simply coercion for self-interest, pure and simple.

"You reduced them to tools…?" he growled. "Just to get at me…?"

Sakura tilted her head again. "It seems I've struck a nerve." She said neutrally. "Alright then, I'm guessing the small talk ends soon. So I'll give you until the count of three: Emiya-senpai, surrender your command spells!"

"Like hell…!" Shirou answered.

"One…!"

"Trace on." Shirou said softly while holding his hands out in front of him. Prana flowed glowing to take on a lattice-like frame of red-gold before flashing a _shinai_ into existence.

"Two…!"

Glowing blue lines flickered over the _shinai_ 's body, reinforcing its structural integrity, and Shirou stepped into a traditional _kendo_ stance. "Three…!" Sakura shouted. "Emiya-senpai, your answer…?"

"No!"

Sakura's response was a high-speed volley of Gandr rounds from her right index finger, and Shirou charged in, shouting a traditional _kendo_ battle cry. He jinked from side to side as he charged, most of the Gandr rounds missing by inches or a hair, the rest breaking against minute parries of his _shinai_.

" _I knew he used to be part of the kyuudou club…_ " Sakura thought in surprise, standing her ground as Shirou closed the distance. " _…but this is…!_ "

Shirou closed, the _shinai_ swinging towards Sakura. Sakura sidestepped at the last second, and gently grabbing one of Shirou's arms and his back, threw him clear. Shirou cried out in surprise, and then in pain, as he flipped through the air to land heavily and painfully on his back.

Even then however, he retained enough awareness to roll clear of a Finn shot that gauged an inch off the ground where he'd been lying on just a moment ago. Rolling to a crouch, he charged in low, Sakura again sidestepping. Only this time he was ready.

As she grabbed at him, he released one hand, and holding it palm outwards traced another _shinai_ into existence. It jabbed into the girl's torso, throwing her back hard against the wall, her head slamming back to crack the glass of the window. Sakura cried out in pain and surprise, and Shirou winced.

She was an enemy – at present – and was trying to beat him – and not shy of causing heavy damage if the Finn shot from earlier was any sign – but hurting girls wasn't something that he exactly relished. "Tohsaka, are you…?" he began.

Sakura just glared and quickly brought up her hand. Finn shots rapid-fired, several rounds blowing a small hole through the wall and into the classroom behind as Shirou fled with a yelp.

Sakura relented, gingerly getting to her feet as Shirou vanished down the corridor and around and down the stairwell. She rubbed her torso and the back of her head, and glanced at the cracked glass of the window which her head had struck. "Pretty sturdy…" she conceded grudgingly. "…for Gradation Air, that is."

With a flicker of afterimages and divots spraying dust in her wake, Sakura flashed to the stairwell before making her way down with cautious haste. As she stepped onto the ground floor landing, she paused, and placed a hand on a wall.

She closed her eyes, prana pulsing through the wall's conceptual structure and down the corridors and along the walls and ceiling until she found what she was looking for. "I've found you." She said.

Flashing to the front of the classroom, Sakura pulled out several gems when she heard the crash of breaking glass. "You won't escape!" she said, throwing a gem to blow in the door and most of the surrounding wall. A cry of alarm could be heard through the sound of falling debris, and Sakura narrowed her eyes before entering warily through the clearing dust clouds.

She never expected a solid stone fist shot through with glowing lines of prana to burst through the clouds from her left. "What the…?" she barely had time to say as she crossed her arms protectively before her face. And then she was flying through the chalkboard and across the adjacent classroom.

And then darkness fell.

* * *

"Got her…!" Shirou said triumphantly. He was kneeling on the ground, near the back of the classroom. A simple magic circle was written in chalk beside him, though much of the surrounding ground had sunk a couple of feet. The matter that had filled the space had been altered into a giant fist of stone rooted in the middle of the crater, empowered by prana, and then thrown in a punch at the belligerent female magus.

 _Remember Shirou: so long as you can conceptualize it as a sword, your alteration and projection will be without match._

"Heh…" Shirou chuckled weakly. He glanced at his handicraft. "…I don't think Rin would find a 'sword' made from cement and concrete to punch out her rival very impressive. But I think it works fine."

Shirou struggled to his feet, and shook his head to clear it. Unlike Rin, he didn't exactly have a lot of prana. He looked across the ruined classrooms to where Sakura Tohsaka was lying sprawled out and motionless, and briefly wondered if he should go help her.

 _I should…I know I should._

 _But she's an enemy. And she tried to kill me when I tried to help her earlier._

 _Well I did use her head to break glass back there, but we were fighting. And she started this fight._

 _But can I really leave an unconscious girl all by herself? And what about all this…damage? It'll be trouble if it's still here tomorrow, won't it?_

 _I could just leave it to Tohsaka after she recovers. If she recovers…what if she doesn't?_

That question was answered as Sakura groaned and began to stir. " _She's alive._ " Shirou thought with mixed relief and alarm. " _And she'll be pissed. I've got to get out of here. Hopefully cleaning this mess up will tie her down for a while. And if she sends her Servant after me, then I can always call Saber._ "

At that thought, Shirou turned and fled.

* * *

Sakura stirred fitfully, coughing as she rolled prone and then got up on all fours. She struggled to stand, wincing at the pain in her head and across her body. Considering her past experiences, it was an inconvenience at worst, but one she did not need in a battle with a fellow magus.

"You're not too shabby are you, Emiya-senpai?" she growled at the giant fist that towered mockingly in the air. "I should have expected this from nee-san's apprentice. I won't make the mistake of underestimating you again."

Not knowing any healing spells on her own, she reached into the Tohsaka Crest, leafing through five generations of stored knowledge before pulling out and actualizing an appropriate healing spell. Her crest flashed, and with the help of a swallowed gem fixed her body up. Cracked bones, bruised and strained muscle and flesh, clots and ruptured blood vessels mended, and Sakura wiped her eyes clear of dirt.

"The game's afoot." She said, rushing from the classroom, kicking down the door as she went.

Through the windows which faced out toward the quadrangle, she spotted Shirou Emiya running for the school gates. " _We'll see about that._ " Sakura thought, placing a hand on the glass and altering it to sand which fell to the ground.

She then pulled up her skirt, exposing a leather holster strapped to one thigh. Opening it, she withdrew one of three 'explosion' conceptual arrows she'd brought along as a last resort.

 _The brush moved fluidly and solidly, drawing out in black ink on white paper the characters for 'bakuhatsu': explosion. Sakura worked methodically, replacing each sheet as she finished them, placing them on a separate table to dry._

 _Not all of the papers were inscribed with the characters for explosion. Some for instance was inscribed with the characters for 'fuhai': putrefaction. Others were inscribed with 'eikyou': impact. Others yet were inscribed in characters for other concepts, the ink sparkling with powdered diamond as they dried._

 _Sakura herself wore a traditional three-layer kimono for ritualistic purpose: plain red at the first layer, followed by dark blue with silver flowers, and finally white with red leaves. An obi was tied around her waist, gold with elaborate silver embroidery. Traditional straw slippers kept her feet from the ground, jade earrings adorning her ears and white cloth tying her hair back in a ponytail._

 _Putting away her calligraphy materials, Sakura took the papers and arranged them in a circular pattern around a small Japanese drum on another table. And then cutting open a finger, she coated individual diamonds with her blood which she placed in the middle of each and every sheet of paper._

 _Once that was done, she healed her finger, and took her place in front of the table. She held a fan in one hand, its ribs lacquered in gleaming black varnish and the paper of the fan painted with a phoenix being reborn in flames. And then she simultaneously opened her circuits and her fan, and theatrically began to speak her aria while using her fan to mask the lower half of her face._

 _Paper and Ink, Blood and Diamonds, Form and Essence_

 _So I Declare by the Power of my Life and Blood_

 _The Many with no Purpose shall become the One_

 _Embodying a Declared Purpose_

 _An Instrument of She Who Commands Power_

 _By Her Command let the Immaterial become Material_

 _By Her Command let the Immaterial Material have power over the Material_

 _Hear now the Words Which Command Power_

 _As the Words are spoken_

 _Cherry Blossoms Dance in the Breeze_

 _As the aria was chanted, the diamonds glowed through the blood and the ink, prana coalescing in minute motes in the air over the sheets of paper. And as the aria concluded, Sakura closed her fan shut, and struck the drum once with a resounding note._

 _At once, the diamonds flared bright, dissolving and releasing the prana stored within, resonating with the magus' purpose. It reshaped the paper, rendering it meta-fluid, flowing and folding into a long and narrow form with a sharpened head and feathered rear._

 _At the same time the World echoed with beliefs that went back to the dawn of Human civilization, when scholars in China and later on Japan and Korea would inscribe simple thoughts, reflections, and concepts in ink on paper, making them real, essence and principle given form. In turn, the powdered diamond in the ink echoed the billions of years of forging their existence in the fiery depths of the Earth, and passed those echoes on._

 _The light faded, excess prana expelled into the air. Polished black carbon gleamed, from the barbed heads along the smooth stems to the soft feathers to the rear. Conceptual arrows lay ready to be used._

With a thought, Sakura projected a _hankyuu_ bow in one hand, and with another thought reinforced it. Falling into a stance, she notched her arrow, took aim and drew back. For a moment she aimed at Shirou's back, and then thinking better of it, aimed elsewhere and let fly.

* * *

The arrow soared through the air, black carbon flying to strike at the pillar to the left of the gates and crushing it with the concept it carried. An explosion blew the entire section to rubble, and sending Shirou flying back through the air shouting.

He rolled as he struck the ground, and getting up on all fours shook his head. He stared in belief at the broken ruins of the gate, and then at the school. Visible through a window was Sakura, holding a bow, and notching another arrow. "You've got to be joking!" he said, getting to his feet and running.

Moments later another arrow struck the ground behind him, sending up another explosion and sending Shirou flying again. A third arrow flew as he got to his feet, this time blowing up the ground in front of him.

"D-d-damn it…" Shirou coughed as he spat out blood, battered and dazed by the explosions. Rolling off his back and trying to get up, he spotted Sakura climbing out of a window and out onto the quadrangle. "…she's out of arrows…?"

Growling in frustration, Shirou wrote out his magic circle in blood, and slamming his hand down altered the surrounding ground with a surge of prana. Craters flowed downward into the concrete, concrete spikes erupting out to fly at Sakura.

"Grapeshot…!" she barked, throwing a gem and then shooting at it. The Finn shot blew the gem apart, which unleashed a volley of multiple of Finn shots in a wide spray in front. The stone spikes were blown apart, and Shirou shouted in pain as he was blown back by several hits.

Sakura aimed and fired, but again Shirou rolled clear, and staggering to his feet ran for the trees. He jinked as he ran, throwing off Sakura's aim and fighting the pain as several shots struck him in the back, until finally he passed the treeline and jinked back and forth between the trees for cover.

* * *

"He took several Finn shots but he's still going?" Sakura remarked incredulously. "On top of concussion from several explosions…? Just what the hell is senpai made of? Iron…?"

Sakura fumbled for a bit, and then realization struck her. "Reinforcement…of course…no wonder he could take so many hits and stay standing." She muttered. "Not bad at all, senpai. You reinforced your clothes and body both, reducing the effect of Finn and the explosions alike. Well two can play at that game."

With a thought Sakura reinforced her clothes and body, and after checking _Muramasa_ at her side rushed after Shirou into the trees. As she passed the treeline another thought occurred to her. "Ambush…?" she said softly. "I don't think so. Cherry blossoms dance in the breeze."

Sakura's body flashed with light, and then vanished into a blizzard of cherry blossoms drifting between the trees.

For his part at this time Shirou was hiding behind a tree, breathing hard and trying to catch his breath. His body hurt, every nerve screaming with pain from the explosions and the Finn shots alike. But with every ebb and heartbeat the pain subsided ever so slightly, and in any case compared to walking in a sea of fire this was as nothing.

As his breathing calmed down, Shirou took a look around the tree. He couldn't see or hear Sakura, but he'd no doubt she was hot on his heels. He'd managed to surprise her more than once, and even managed to score hits against her, but she'd managed to keep up and even increase the pressure.

 _As a magus she's far above me…but underdogs can win too!_

 _I won't betray Rin and Saber by losing! Not like this…! Not right now…!_

"Trace on." Shirou murmured, holding out his hands. A _shinai_ appeared, and he held onto it. Again, he looked out from around the tree but there was nothing but the trees.

Shirou blinked. His gaze climbed up a tall tree trunk, up into the canopy, and an idea came to mind.

 _Why not?_

Discarding his _shinai_ , Shirou picked up a nearby branch that had fallen on the ground, and concentrated. "Trace on." He murmured, and the branch glowed and shifted until he held a _hankyuu_ bow of his own in one hand. He picked up another branch, held it, and murmured his aria.

He now had an arrow.

Moving the _shinai_ to another spot as bait, Shirou then altered several branches into a forest-patterned cloak complete with hood, which he draped over his shoulders. Covering his head, he climbed up a tree, crouched down on a particularly thick and sturdy branch, and leaned close to the trunk.

He didn't have to wait for long. Less than ten minutes later and Sakura appeared, warily moving from tree to tree, and casting her eyes from shadow to shadow. Shirou didn't blame her. The afternoon was almost over, giving way to the dusk, though the Moon was rising early tonight. It wasn't as bright as the Sun, but it would provide plenty of light of its own.

Shirou stayed silent and still, watching as Sakura noticed the _shinai_ on the ground. As she cautiously stepped forward, picked it up and examined it, Shirou quietly notched his arrow, pulled back, aimed, and let fly.

The arrow should have pierced her thigh, crippling her. Shirou would then jump down, knock her unconscious, patch her up (he knew First Aid), and then take her back to school. No doubt her Servant would probably be on its way back by then, and Shirou would then slip away while they were concerned with his injury.

At least that was the plan.

'Sakura' shouldn't have shattered into sparkling motes of light when Shirou's arrow struck her. And the explosion which toppled Shirou's tree certainly wasn't part of the plan.

The tree toppled with a resounding crash, Shirou jumping clear several feet up. He landed badly, and found himself shouting as he tumbled down a steep slope, taking bruises and scrapes as he struck rocks and roots over and over again.

Finally he came to a halt, and struggling to his feet ran through the trees, holding his cloak close. And then he tripped on Sakura's foot, and he cried out as he fell on his face. Guided by instinct he rolled to the side, a Finn shot sending dirt flying. Again moving by instinct, he scraped up dirt as he rolled into a crouch, and threw it into Sakura's eyes.

The girl cried out in pain and surprise, staggering back and clutching at her face. A part of Shirou felt guilty at the sight, but he forced it aside. Carving his magic circle into the ground, he poured prana into the earth, making an earthen embankment several metres long on either side and a metre thick between him and Sakura.

Knowing that Sakura would be able to get over the obstacle in time, Shirou scrambled to open up the distance. At the same time he knew he needed to end the battle quickly, sensing his own prana reserves running low. He needed a weapon, something that could end the battle **now**.

His thoughts then strayed back to the battle earlier, and he remembered the brief glance he had of the second explosive arrow he'd seen Sakura notch onto her bow. And as strangely was the case, when he applied 'sword' to it, the memory supplied him with _what_ the weapon was.

" _Seriously…?_ " he thought at once. He dodged behind a tree, hearing Sakura's growled curses as she tried to climb the embankment. " _Throwing around conceptual weapons like that, is she crazy?_ "

 _But…it can end the battle all at once._

 _But…if I use it…she could…_

 _No…I don't need to hit her. I just need to hit close, closer than me earlier. If I could judge the distance right, she could survive like I survived, but be knocked out by the force._

 _I'll win and end this all at once._

Nodding to himself, Shirou quietly crouched down, grabbed a branch, and held it up. "Trace on." He said, imaging the conceptual weapon he'd seen Sakura use – she called it an 'explosion conceptual arrow' apparently – and traced it on the branch. The branch glowed as it flowed fluidly to take the form of the black arrow he'd seen her use.

" _Amazing…_ " Shirou thought as he briefly reflected on how Sakura had made them. And then he heard Sakura's footsteps, and taking a deep breath Shirou notched the arrow, dropped down into a crouch around the tree, simultaneously aimed and pulled back.

He saw her eyes lock onto him, and then go wide at the sight of the arrow notched onto his bow. He saw her lips part in disbelief, and he let fly, confident in her ability to dodge. And dodge she did, Shirou seeing anger, disbelief, and resignation as she realized she was too close.

The arrow struck the tree behind where she'd been standing moments ago, the explosion rocking the forest as the Sun set, and night fell.

* * *

A/N

To be continued in the next chapter!

Shirou is Rambo! Towards the end, that is.

Sakura's magecraft focuses on Oriental breathing and walking, based around three skillsets shown here: _jujutsu_ , _kyuujutsu_ , and _kenjutsu_. The latter two are the pre-Meiji terms for archery ( _kyuudou_ ) and swordsmanship ( _kendo_ ), but where _kyuudou_ and _kendo_ are sports, _kyuujutsu_ and _kenjutsu_ are combat-focused. Western magecraft is meant as a supplement for her.

Guest: actually her one-way diplomacy is deliberate. Sakura aspires to be a samurai, but while there are samurai who understood the carrot and stick approach like Toyotomi Hideyoshi ('if the cuckoo doesn't sing coax it to sing') or Tokugawa Ieyasu ('if the cuckoo doesn't sing wait for it to sing'), most fell under the same category as Oda Nobunaga ('if the cuckoo doesn't sing kill it'). It's also why the _bushido_ culture of pre-WWII Japan meant they were poor when it came to diplomacy: they had difficulty using the carrot, and waved the stick around too much.


	12. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I do not own the Fate franchise it belongs to Kinoko Nasu and Type-Moon.

Different Fates

Chapter 11

" _What's that you have there, Sakura-chan?"_

 _The younger students of Tenken-ryu kenjutsu gathered around their fellow student, a ten year old girl with shoulder-length dark hair tied back in a ponytail. She carried a katana in one hand, not one of the school's, its guard tied to the scabbard with red string._

" _It's a Muramasa." Ten year-old Sakura Tohsaka replied. That set off a storm of muttering: Muramasa blades were rare, well-known, and legendary even. Or perhaps: infamous. Supposedly forged by a demon sword-smith, Muramasa blades were incredibly-sharp but also very bloodthirsty, a curse that they shared with their bearers. A few of the students looked warily at the sword, and wondered if the red string was a seal of some sort._

" _My guardian gave it to me as a gift." Sakura continued. "1548, my guardian and the certification said this sword was forged."_

" _So did you bring it here to brag?" Hanako Iwaguchi asked somewhat rudely. The two girls never got along, practice matches between the two more often than not getting heated._

" _Of course not…" Sakura snapped. "…I just wanted to show it to sensei. And besides…I need his advice. This Muramasa…"_

 _Sakura trailed off, unwilling to sound crazy or too cryptic. There_ _ **were**_ _whispers from the sword, indistinct and incomprehensible at times, but in the few times she could understand them they spoke of glorious battles and grand conquest, deeds and sagas that would be remembered in tales and songs for countless generations._

 _And the most terrifying part was that she was_ _ **tempted**_ _._

 _Even though she knew the legends behind Muramasa's blades, of how they cursed their bearers with a lust for blood and death, for war and destruction, she was still_ _ **tempted**_ _by the promise of eternal glory even beyond death itself. Sakura was about to say more, when Soujirou-sensei arrived, though apparently he'd heard a bit of what she was saying and what her classmates had been whispering about._

" _A sword is never drawn lightly." He said almost chidingly. "And yet at times we must draw it. Not always for battle, though in the case of swords such as yours Sakura-kun, even drawing it is a battle in itself."_

" _Sensei…!"_

" _Draw your sword, Sakura-kun." Soujirou said with a nod. "Let it see the light of day."_

 _Sakura nodded, and as her classmates gave her a wide berth, she untied the red string and let it fall. Silence seemed to fall unnaturally as the string fell away, and then holding the sword by the scabbard with one hand and the other on the hilt, Sakura drew Muramasa._

 _ **It was a day that would never be forgotten by those present on that field.**_

 _ **It was a day for which the monks and priestesses would offer prayers of thanks to the gods and of consolation to the slain. It was a day that would be sung of by minstrels to warriors over their wines, and told in tales of awe and fear beside fires at night.**_

 _ **They sung of how an army of mere three thousand broke a force more than seven times their number, such was the greatness of their spirit and the power of their arms. They sung of how the Sun shone bright in a clear spring sky, of clouds that children would see shapes in, of how birds flew overhead and spring flowers blossomed, as though they bore witness to the great warriors that fought on that field.**_

 _ **They sung of Tohsaka no Sakura, Princess of the Winter Forest, Rider of the Winds, Herald of the Storms, Anointed by Hachiman, Favoured of Jikoku-ten, Champion of the Emperor, Protector of the Capital, Castle Breaker, Terror of the Battlefield, Master of War and Blades, Poet and Artist, the Beloved and Accursed Blood-stained Blossom of Fuyuki-jou.**_

 _ **They sung how she rode forth at the head of her army, encased in black plate, bearing the lance, the bow, and the sword, heedless of the enemy's numbers or the great storms of arrows they sent forth into the sky. She cared not for death, for it came not for her but with her, and with every arrow she and hers let fly, with every stroke of the lance and the glaive and the sword, death claimed what was his.**_

 _ **And the enemy gave way before her, the craven foe showing their lack of spirit as they turned their backs like cowards, and dishonoured their names and ancestors by throwing down their weapons and pleading for mercy. And she gave them their due, striking their heads from their bodies, their wails vanishing into the void as red blood spilled forth sparkling in the spring Sun…**_

 _Soujirou reached out, and gently but firmly pushed Muramasa, held a third out of its scabbard, back into the scabbard. Sakura blinked, seemingly coming out of a trance, and blushed slightly as though in embarrassment, and perhaps a little shame. But Soujirou said nothing, and instead kneeling down picked up the red string and resealed the blade._

" _Do not draw this sword again until you are ready." He said. "When that time will come, only you can answer. Simply remember that a sword is a weapon, a tool in the hands of a swordsman. Do you understand?"_

 _Sakura nodded, and held her sword. "Yes I understand."_

Clouds of smoke and dust choked the forest, and Shirou Emiya staggered against a tree, coughing loudly. Fortunately it wasn't much, and the clouds were clearing quickly. Shirou warily looked on as they did so, waiting for them to clear.

Sakura had been close to the explosion, probably close enough not just to get knocked out but also take _some_ injuries in the process, Shirou reflected with some guilt. It didn't matter that they were fighting a battle, hurting someone wasn't something that should be done without at least _some_ remorse.

At least, that's what Shirou liked to believe, and believe in it he did.

Depending on how badly hurt she was, he'd take her back to school and patch her up, and then leave her for her approaching Servant. It was the responsible thing to do after all.

The clouds cleared, and Shirou's eyes widened in surprise. "No way…" he breathed.

Blood was running from a jagged cut on her right brow down her face, and her uniform had been reduced to tatters. Exposed skin was covered with dirt and bleeding cuts, her breathing was quick and heavy, and she was on her knees, but Sakura was _conscious_. "Did you think it would be that easy?" she breathed.

"Tohsaka, stop this already…!" Shirou shouted. "Take a look at yourself! There's no point in keeping this up!"

Sakura laughed mockingly, and with the help of her sword got to her feet. "Something…something like this…" she spat, her breathing beginning to steady. "…it's nothing compared to what _she_ did eight years ago."

"What?"

"Oh?" Sakura said, swallowing a gem. Her crest flashed, and as her wounds began to close she wiped blood from her face. "She's not told you I see. I wonder why, she always seemed like someone who'd brag about it. No matter…"

Sakura reached up, and to Shirou's shock and horror tore away the remains of her blouse. And then her skirt, leaving her in shorts and undershirt over dirty socks and shoes. "What are you doing?" Shirou demanded as she unclipped and discarded the empty arrow holster on her thigh.

"Getting rid of encumbrances…" Sakura replied, and held out her sword horizontally before her. "…I'll admit you caught me by surprise there. Your proficiency in Gradation Air is nothing short of, dare I say genius? If you weren't her apprentice, I'd have offered you an apprenticeship with me."

"Is that right?" Shirou asked wearily. Not from the question, but rather from the fact it was clear Sakura intended to continue the battle.

"If you don't to believe me, then don't." Sakura said. "A word of warning though: unless you're the First Magician and thus possess the power to reject nothingness, no matter how good your projection is, it will _always_ be inferior to the real thing. Never forget that! Or did your master did not teach you that?"

"She missed it." Shirou snapped, and Sakura actually laughed.

"Alright, keep your secrets." She said. And then took hold of the hilt. "Shall we continue?"

Shirou narrowed his eyes, and Sakura slowly drew her sword. Shirou then blinked, looking on in surprise and then mounting horror as red mist seemed to flow from the sword and wrap around Sakura. As the sword was fully drawn, for a moment it seemed as though two people were standing in front of Shirou, one superimposed over Sakura.

The other was a warrior, encased in black-painted, traditional Japanese armour, which hid the warrior's gender, only his or her eyes visible over the steel mask that protected the face. "Where did you get that sword?" he asked.

Sakura laughed, and Shirou shuddered, the laughter sounding as though two people were laughing. One was real, the other unreal, and yet both sounded real. "It's mine." Sakura replied, her sword held low in one hand as she advanced, the warrior fading away into nothingness as she approached.

Once again there was only Sakura, and her bloodthirsty sword.

 _ **A woman lay at his feet, her armour shattered, and her eyes blank and distant. She lived still, her mouth hanging open as she shallowly drew in breaths, but she was broken, a husk spent and used, meant only to be discarded. A broken sword was at her side, and her legs were splayed open, clear fluid mixed with blood and semen pooled between them.**_

 _ **Emiya no Shirou strode away, heading out to the balcony to survey his victory. The castle had been taken, and in the distance he could see orange flames as the town burned. He could hear the screams of the dying, the pleas of those at the mercy of his warriors, who would show them none, and would take from them what was theirs as he had taken his.**_

 _ **Below, Shirou could see the gathered ranks of those who had followed him in storming the castle, could here them chanting his name, hailing him as their lord, their master, their prince…**_

Shirou reeled back at the vision, barely-succeeding in keeping from retching. The woman…she…she…he…he had…no…he hadn't. It was a vision, a temptation from the evil spirit in the sword, and he would never sink so low, to force himself on an unwilling woman.

The name of the sword came to him, along with broken visions of an old man barking instructions at sweating apprentices at a forge. His limbs were frail and weary, but in his eyes burned unholy fire.

 _Muramasa…the demon sword-smith of the Sengoku…_

Shirou blinked, and then guided by instinct dodged as Sakura charged in. _Muramasa_ stabbed forward one-handed, missing Shirou's shoulder only for Sakura to swing to the right. Again Shirou dodged, Sakura bringing up her left hand to hold _Muramasa_ two-handed as she closed the distance.

Sakura's swung down, and again Shirou dodged. She slashed upward, diagonally from right to left, and this time the blade connected, Shirou crying out as a crimson line was drawn on his left arm.

"You're trying to kill me aren't you?" he shouted.

"No, I'm fine with disabling you, then taking your command spells, and then fixing you afterwards." Sakura replied deadpan.

Shirou bolted, and Sakura gave pursuit.

* * *

" _I've got to get that sword away from her._ " Shirou thought while running through the trees. " _A Muramasa…no wonder she's acting so crazy. She's using a bloody demon sword! I have to…_ "

There was a flicker of afterimages, and Sakura was in front of Shirou. Steel flashed, and Sakura shattered Shirou's traced bow, the boy falling back as she steadily advanced, her sword held low in both hands.

"Either your permission or your arm is coming from you, Emiya-senpai." Sakura said.

"What kind of…?"

Sakura cut Shirou off, charging in and slashing at Shirou's right arm. Shirou dodged blow after blow, each one coming closer and closer as Sakura gained a feel for his movements. And then the sword fell, biting into his right shoulder before catching and grinding to a halt on bone.

Shirou screamed in surprise and pain, not noticing Sakura's eyes widen in surprise. " _How can this be?_ " she thought. " _Muramasa can cut through bone in a clean hit. This is…!_ "

Ignoring the pain, and driven by instinct, Shirou lunged forward, _Muramasa_ grinding against his skeleton. Drowned by blood, neither of the two combatants noticed sparks flaking off _Muramasa_ 's edge as though grinding against steel plating.

Sakura jumped back, avoiding Shirou's clumsy grab for her and pulling _Muramasa_ back with her. Blood erupted from the ugly wound, quickly slowing but staining Shirou's uniform with blood.

Shirou himself stood there, breathing hard, the pain somehow spreading across his body. Bone was cracked and broken, and every movement sent fire ripping from his shoulder across his chest and down his right arm, accompanied by a biting sensation as though metal teeth were chewing through flesh.

"Trace…on…" Shirou gasped, holding out his hands and draining his already-depleted prana. The blood loss wasn't so bad, and the pain was far from debilitating (by his standards anyway), but coupled together and with his prana running low he was beginning to feel lightheaded, his thoughts sluggish and increasingly-incoherent. Prana weakly-flared between his hands and then fizzled out.

 _My body…_

Sakura brought up her sword two-handed, and charged. Shirou dodged, Sakura's slashes missing by a hair. Up-down, diagonally up left-right, horizontally right-left, stabbing up, up-down, another stab…

 _My body…_

Shirou tripped on a root, and while keeping from falling was left open to attack. _Muramasa_ rose and fell, again aiming for his arm. Time seemed to slow as Shirou's eyes followed the sword's gleaming form cutting through the air for him. " _A weapon…_ " he thought. " _…I need…a…weapon…any weapon…a sword…I need…I need a sword…_ "

 _My body…_

"Trace…on…" he whispered seemingly on instinct, his body sinking or rather collapsing to one knee as his reserves were depleted to the last drop. Golden light flashed and twisted into a lattice, which took form and solidified into reality.

 _My body is…_

The ringing sound of steel against steel rang through the forest, Sakura's eyes wide with surprise, that same surprise weakening the force behind her blow. _Muramasa_ came to a halt against its mirror image, and the dull edge of the mirror slamming into Shirou's wound.

 _My body is…!_

Pain exploded through Shirou's body, burning away the fog in his mind. At the same time, something _ignited_ in him, the same survival instinct that had driven him to walk through a sea of fire, to callously ignore the pleas and screams of those dying in the flames, and with a wild shout of defiance pushed Sakura away.

Guided by instinct, he launched a ferocious counterattack, slashes flashing silver in the Moonlight as he hammered Sakura back, and forcing her guard open slashed her across the face. Sakura flashed back barely in time, her flawed _shukuchi_ opening the distance and keeping the wound from getting too deep, but leaving her with a crimson line over her nose.

Shirou breathed hard, and wiped at his eyes. Fury ebbing, he shook his head, trying to clear what sounded like incoherent screaming. He didn't realize it was coming from the sword in his hand, the flaws of the tracing process having driven the spirit in the sword mad.

As for Sakura she dabbed at the blood streaming down her face and stared at it in disbelief, and then she smiled. Rising to her feet, she bowed in respect, and taking hold of her sword two-handed charged in.

Shirou brought up his sword, sparks flying as two demon swords ground against each other. After a moment they ground their swords free, and then trading blows circled while facing each other. " _Amazing…_ " Sakura thought. " _…his projection of Muramasa…it matches the original…_ "

Dodging rather than parrying, she caught Shirou's sword with her left hand, blood exploding as it was cut open. As Shirou's eyes widened, Sakura flashed away and up a tree, buying time to heal her wound. Without a gem it was slow and would leave a scar, but her crest was enough.

Leaping off the tree, she brought her sword down two-handed. Shirou dodged and then charged in, Sakura blocking and then riposting in her turn. "Your Gradation Air is only one grade below the real thing." Sakura complimented him. "How are you doing this?"

"I'm talented!" Shirou shouted as he parried and riposted in his turn.

Sakura laughed, slashes filling the air in front of her with steel and silver light. Shirou dodged and parried, and then counterattacking left his guard open to counterattack as Sakura dodged and cut him across the back. Forward motion kept the blow from cutting flesh, but with a growl Shirou half-turned and cut at Sakura.

She avoided the blow, dancing back but her undershirt was now cut open, exposing her bra. Undeterred, she tore the ruined undershirt off and pressed the offensive steel against steel. "Where did you study _kenjutsu_?" Sakura demanded as they again crossed blades, their swords shaking as they fought to overpower each other. "What school do you use?"

"No school…" Shirou growled. Again they broke, and again they traded blows while circling each other. "…I just learned a bit of _kendo_ from my sister, that's all."

"And yet…" Sakura said before breaking off. With a mysterious yet curious smile she feinted and charged, sparks flying as Shirou brought his sword down, turning a blow that would have gutted him as she anticipated his dodge and slashed low. "…here you are, matching me blow for blow. No, you're not lying. From a swordswoman to a swordsman, it's clear you're not lying. And yet you can match me, who has studied _Tenken-ryu_ for eight years now."

Sakura sighed, parrying a series of ferocious attacks by Shirou before flashing back. "How are you doing this?" she asked.

"I have absolutely no idea." Shirou said. "And even if I did, I wouldn't tell you."

Sakura sighed. "I figured you might say something like that." She said. Her eyes flickered to Shirou's sword, her irises flashing as she reinforced them. She noted the cracks and pits on the sword, and nodded inwardly. "Oh well, I'm getting tired of this. Shall we wrap this up?"

"What?"

Sakura smiled, and then to Shirou's surprise sheathed her sword. She then stepped into a new stance, one that Shirou recognized as that for _battojutsu_. "Won't you take your stance, Emiya-senpai?" she asked.

Shirou narrowed his eyes, but rather than matching Sakura's stance he held his sword out in front of him two-handed. "So you'll meet my charge instead…?" Sakura said, and chuckled. "Alright then…"

The moments ticked by, the two combatants staring at each other in the eye. A light breeze kicked up, blowing dirt and leaves through the air. They didn't move, locked as though in stasis, or perhaps, perfectly-balanced forces waiting for the right time to break the balance and strike.

The breeze died down, leaves drifting through the air. A single leaf drifted through the air, floating towards Sakura's _Muramasa_. It touched the blade, and was cut in half at once. And then everything went into high speed.

Sakura charged forward, one hand holding her scabbard the other _Muramasa_ 's hilt. She shouted as she charged and on the last step pulled out her sword in a blindingly-fast, diagonal slash meant to cut an opponent open from hip to shoulder.

The ringing sound of steel against steel echoed through the forest, followed by the sound of metal breaking.

 _My body…_

Moonlight gleamed bright, on polished steel edges, and on drops of blood spraying explosively into the air.

 _My body is…_

Broken shards of metal flew through the air, crumbling into glittering dust, prana on the wind.

 _My body is made of…_

Shirou Emiya flew back, his eyes wide in shock and surprise, his torso bloody from a gash cut deep from hip to shoulder, and as he fell to the ground he coughed up blood. He convulsed a few times, and was still, apart from periodic but ragged breathing.

 _My body…is…made of…blades…_

The breeze kicked up again, leaves and dirt and flying between the trees, and whipping through Sakura's hair. She lowered her sword, and while she didn't sheathe it yet, she gave a bow of respect to a fallen warrior. "F-finish…it…" Shirou gasped in defiance.

"To the victor the spoils…" Sakura murmured while pointing _Muramasa_ 's tip at Shirou's command spells. Shirou's eyes widened, but Sakura stayed silent as she raised her sword, aiming to sever Shirou's arm from his body.

It didn't connect.

As the sword fell, thunder boomed deafeningly close, and Sakura flew clear across the clearing with a shout of pain and surprise as a barrage of red-black bolts slammed into her. And across from her, her hands stretched out from hurling lightning, was a purple-haired and purple-eyed girl in a school uniform: Rin Matou.

"It seems I made it in time." She said. Shirou weakly turned his head to look at her.

"R-Rin…?" he gasped. Rin glanced at him, took stock of his injuries, and turned back to Sakura, who was shakily getting to her feet. Rin didn't let her, blowing her clear off her feet and against a tree with another blast of lightning.

"Oh Sakura…" she taunted with a singsong voice. "…it seems you've forgotten what happens when I get angry."

She fired a third blast, more sustained this time, Sakura screaming in agony as red-black bolts coursed over her largely-nude form. "R-Rin…you…" Shirou gasped, turning and lying prone, crawling in Rin's direction as she approached Sakura.

Rin ignored him, and instead fired a fourth blast. This one was sustained, Sakura screaming as the lightning wrapped over her body. The energy wasn't that intense, enough to cause first and second-degree burns, but there was a curse, an added element to the lightning that struck at Sakura's very soul and being, leaving the younger girl writhing and screaming as the stink of ozone filled the air.

Finally, after over a minute of torture, Rin stopped. "Aw…" she mocked. "…look at you…you've broken so soon. Beg, and I'll stop."

Sakura gasped, rolling onto her back. She glared defiantly at Rin, shakily pushing herself up to a sitting position against another tree. Her skin was covered in burns, her hair and clothes singed, her sword forgotten a good distance away.

" **I SAID BEG!** " Rin roared.

"Go to hell." Sakura spat, a gobbet of spit landing at Rin's feet. Rin's eyes widened in fury, and in the next moment Sakura was screaming again, barely-audible over the sound of lightning displacing the air.

"Stop it…you shouldn't…go…so far…" Shirou gasped, struggling to his feet some distance behind Rin. In the distance, he could see Sakura, thrashing and writhing in agony on the ground, wreathed in red-black lightning. It spilled out from her, setting fire to nearby bushes and the grass, blackening tree trunks and reducing leaves to ash with a single stroke. "…Rin…stop…don't…you can't…stop…!"

Even though he'd been fighting against Sakura only recently, even though they had both been aiming to defeat each other even to the point of spilling each other's blood, this…this was too much.

This was no battle, a fair contest of skill against skill, with both sides fairly laying everything they had on the line.

This was torture, plain and simple, with no purpose beyond inflicting pain on someone who couldn't fight back, all to satisfy some selfish desire on the tormentor's part.

No matter what grudges lay between Rin and Sakura, no matter the relationship between Shirou and Rin, no, _especially because of their relationship_ Shirou couldn't just let this go on. He had to do something, even if it meant helping his enemy.

"STOP...!" Shirou said, lunging and grabbing Rin from behind. Her eyes went wide, and before she realized it instinctively turned her lightning against Shirou. Already badly-injured, Shirou screamed as Rin's cursed lightning turned against him, the boy collapsing to the ground.

"NO!" Rin screamed as she sank down to and grabbed Shirou. "SHIROU NO…!"

* * *

Sakura rolled prone, gasping and shaking as the torment came to an end, the stink of ozone filling her nostrils. Her body was filled with nothing but pain, and it was only with great difficulty that she could even begin to try and regain some control over her body.

 _You have shown me your strength, and proven your life's worth._

The words of the Golden King echoing in her head, Sakura fought to regain control, snarling and spitting as spasms wracked her body as she struggled to all fours, and then on her back against a nearby tree. In the distance she could see Rin fussing and crying over Shirou, and Sakura groaned as her circuits refused to answer her command.

It had been very fortunate the earlier blasts hadn't been as powerful as they could be, though the last certainly was. In fact it was as powerful as it had been eight years ago, and it was all she could do with what little mastery she had of breathing and walking to redirect the worst of the damage to her surroundings.

And even then, her body was covered in first and second-degree burns, and her circuits were heavy and unresponsive, unknown to her weighed down by the same curse that had kept Kirei from saving her eight years ago and requiring the intervention of the Golden King. Her shorts were in tatters, and her singed panties exposed. Her bra had been blown off, all but leaving Sakura naked in the forest.

The humiliation burned, feeding Sakura's anger at Rin's unjust blame. So what if she'd studied magic on her own? Tradition didn't say anything against that, only against her being taught. Not to mention it was perfectly _normal_ even **_expected_** for a younger sibling to chase after and follow an elder sibling's example. Yes, that was what drew their father's attention, but in the end it was his decision, not Sakura's, to make Sakura the Tohsaka heiress and for Rin to be given away.

Whatever else that had happened after that, the alchemy that had turned Rin's hair and irises purple, what hardships that she'd gone through that left her cold and introverted before their 'reunion' eight years ago, it was not Sakura's fault.

She had nothing to do with it.

Absolutely nothing…!

Sakura looked down at her hand, raising it shakily into the air. And then sheglanced down at her feet, at the singed remains of her socks and shoes, and the blackened leather of her knife holster. An electrum-plated dagger was sheathed there, gleaming pristine and bright, untouched by the magic turned against her.

At the sight, the words of the Golden King echoed in her mind once again.

 _Only the strong and the beautiful should be allowed to live in this world._

"Fuck you Rin…" Sakura spat. "…if you think I'll just let you use me as a chew toy."

Sakura lunged, grabbing the dagger. As she took hold of it, the red gem on its guard flashed, and she staggered as _something_ was drawn from her, something that had been of something greater, something that had been blessed to the girl, but was denied by the girl's own will and the gift of a greater being.

As Angra Mainyu's fragment screamed in rage and despair at its exorcism, Sakura, feeling warmth return to her body, rose to her feet, and threw a five thousand year-old holy ritual dagger at Rin.

* * *

A/N

Next chapter will be a flashback one. Gilgamesh makes his grand entry, cruel and kingly as ever.

Guest: all magi can use projection they just call it Gradation Air. And at short range the reduced power of a bow doesn't matter, the real power is in Sakura's conceptual weapon. And even if Shirou traced it, it's still one rank below hers. Point about the samurai, but as history has proven, even if they know better most aspiring samurai were drawn to Nobunaga's example over that of Hideyoshi or Ieyasu's.


	13. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I do not own the Fate franchise it belongs to Kinoko Nasu and Type-Moon.

Warning: this chapter may be potentially graphic.

Different Fates

Chapter 12

 _Eight years ago_

Kotomine Church is the residence of the parish priest of Fuyuki City. Normally there would be more than one parish priest in a city, possibly with a bishop to oversee them, but considering Christians are a minority in Japan, that single parish in Fuyuki was more than enough for the small Christian community.

At first glance Kotomine Church is no different from other churches. Apart from the church itself it includes a garden-like enclosure inside, behind the church, surrounded by the priest's residences, his utilities and guest areas, and even a small library.

The first difference is that the resident priest also serves as the Overseer for the periodic Holy Grail Wars of Fuyuki. Furthermore the current resident is also a retired Executor, and a competent spell-caster in his own right.

But even that is not much of a difference from many of his fellows. They too tended to have double lives, publicly tending to their flocks on one hand, and conducting Church affairs within the Moonlit World on the other hand.

No, what truly set Kotomine Church apart were all the tortured souls within. Most were beneath the church, children left orphaned and forgotten by the great fire two years ago unleashed by the destruction of the Grail of Fourth Holy Grail War. Buried alive, but kept alive at the point of death by magic, their wills chained and minds consumed by endless agony, their souls and lives were slowly drained away to power one of the survivors of that same war.

But they were not the only tortured souls within Kotomine Church. Their tormentor, Kirei Kotomine, the church's resident, was also one such tortured soul. It was he who had taken the children from the eyes of the world, and who had chained them to an existence of torment unending. He was a being who could only take delight and satisfaction in the pain and suffering of others, and delighted in it he did. And yet, his conscience tormented him in kind, haunting him with terrible questions.

Why?

Why did evil feel so good?

What purpose was there for him, a being that could only find satisfaction in evil, to be born to a life that should be spent in service to others and in the doing of good?

Why?

Such questions had tormented him long before now, the conflict sapping away any satisfaction he might have gained in life. His achievements as a priest and as an Executor…his attempt at having a family…even the torments he inflicted on his victims now…still, his conscience and its questions festered within, rotting away at his soul.

But he and his victims were not the only tortured soul in Kotomine Church, not now. There was one other.

On a cot beneath a window in one of the church's guest rooms lay a child, gasping ragged, wet and sickly breaths. Once she was a pretty little thing, with bright blue eyes, fair skin, and shoulder-length dark hair, and a smile that could light the smiles of her friends and family.

Now however, her fair skin was gone, burnt and blasted away to expose flesh and muscle with the consistency of half-cooked meat, in some places stripped away to expose cracked and battered bone. Her hair was gone, burnt away along with her scalp, leaving blackened and rapidly-festering flesh beneath, and in some places her skull gleamed through palely, with marks reminiscent of lashing flames or heat. Her eyes had been reduced to weeping masses of ruined flesh, oozing with pus and ichor, and her smile was ruined beyond repair, her lips burst and her teeth shattered.

The room stank with putrid rot and corruption, the bandages that covered her body sticking to her, soaked with pus and ichor, feeding the infection and rot destroying what was left of her. Death would be a mercy.

But she couldn't die. Something was driving her on, keeping her in the world of the living, as though waiting or hoping for something that would most likely never arrive to save her. And through it all, a memory constantly played through her mind as though on a loop, burning through the all-consuming haze of agony that clouded her thoughts.

" _We're not supposed to meet like this."_

 _Two girls stood alone in a park. The older had purple eyes, her long purple hair tied into pigtails. The younger had dark brown hair, cut just short of her shoulders. Both wore elementary school uniforms, but where the older girl's expression was of mute, silent resignation mixed with a lack of care, the younger was cheerful, open, and even of anxious hope._

" _I know." The younger girl said. "But I want to change that."_

" _What?"_

" _Father…" she said. "…the agreement was between father and Matou-san. But, father is dead. I'm the head of the Tohsaka now. That's why I thought, maybe I could change things. You'd still be a Matou, but we can see each other, friends or maybe more. But, I wanted to ask what you thought of it first, so…so here we are. What do you think?"_

 _For several moments there was silence, eight year-old Sakura Tohsaka not noticing the flicker behind the usually empty eyes of nine-year old Rin Matou when Sakura mentioned herself as the head of the Tohsaka Clan. It was ever so brief, but if her older self had seen it, she would instantly have been on guard._

 _It was the gleam in the eyes of an enemy whose wrath has stirred, and readying to strike at the first opportunity. But she didn't see it. She was still a child, and her senses had yet to be attuned to such signals._

" _Why?"_

" _Huh?"_

" _Why are you doing this?" Rin asked, lowering her face so that her eyes couldn't be seen. "Do you pity me is that it? Are you trying to make me feel better, so you can feel even better, is that it?"_

" _No, of course not…!" Sakura answered, sounding and looking confused and shocked in equal measure._

" _Then why?"Rin demanded, a dangerous note entering her voice. Sakura looked down, her expression sad. For a few moments there was silence, the breeze kicking up and blowing leaves and dust along, and tugging at their hair. As it died down, Rin clenched her fists. "Why?"_

 _There was more to that why than simply the reason for this meeting. Even now, Sakura was a magus, and she knew her sister wanted to know: why did she do as she did? Rin had always been the favourite but because of her, because of what Sakura had done, she'd been given away, and Sakura given what should have been hers._

" _I…I just wanted to be like you. I wanted…papa and mama…I wanted them to smile at me like they did at you. But…that's why…I…I want things to go back to how they used to be so…do…do you want to be sisters again?_ _"_

 _Again silence consumed them. Rin's fists clenched and unclenched in rapid succession, and she grit her teeth hard. "Nee-san…?" Sakura asked after a few moments._

 _And then Rin lifted her face, with a laugh that sounded mad and uncontrolled. "Is that so?" she asked as Sakura recoiled in surprise. "_ _Because you know what: I…I really…I really hate you."_

 _"Nee-san…?" Sakura gasped as she staggered back and Rin laughed as mad and uncontrolled as before._

 _"I wish…" Rin whispered, raising her hands in Sakura's direction. "…I wish you had never been born."_

 _And the world exploded in pain._

Over and over again the memory played itself out in her mind, tormenting and mocking her, but she couldn't respond. She couldn't confront it. It just kept on burning itself into what was left of her, the pain and the memory – they all crushed every other thought.

And there was one other. It was a scream, the constant screaming of millions of voices screaming out all the crimes of the World and of Mankind, as though trying to drive home its lack of a right to live, for everything to die, to burn, and to cease to be.

 _Rape_

 _Murder_

 _Genocide_

 _Cannibalism_

 _Arson_

 _Fratricide_

 _Incest_

 _Torture_

 _Brainwashing_

Six million curses, six million crimes, six million condemnations against Mankind and the World. They didn't deserve to live. They didn't deserve to exist. Nothing deserved to exist. She didn't deserve to exist. To live…someone…everything had to pay for it.

She should just die. She should just pay her small bit of the price Mankind and the World had to pay in restitution for their crimes. She should just die, and avoid partaking or suffering any of those crimes.

The voices kept on screaming. The memory continued to play. The pain continued to eat at her, even as infection and rot ate away at her body. But she still lived. Something drove her on, something that she couldn't understand, something that kept her from dying.

The four forces in perfect, agonizing balance: her will to live, the curses against Mankind and the World, the last memory before pain consumed everything, and the agonizing, slow and steady destruction of her body. And now that balance was broken, as a voice spoke to her in a language that she did not know but could understand.

How could she not? It was the Ancient Universal Language, forgotten by Mankind with the slow wearing of time, and yet should any speak with it to them they would understand. How could they not? To reject it would be to reject their very being, to cease to exist.

It spoke to her as though from a distance, and it taunted and challenged her. The voice was proud and arrogant, as though expecting to be heeded as a matter of course, and the power and confidence behind the voice seemed to justify it. Not that she thought of any of that at the time, her shattered thoughts grabbing eagerly at the words that pierced the haze.

 _Do you want to die, wretched child? Then just die already. Your pathetic agonies sour my night, and the stink of your rotting, dying form foul the air. Die already, so your body may be buried._

 _But if you want to live, come to me. Prove yourself to me. And I shall give you the gift of life._

 _Life is not a right. It is a privilege that should only be given to those who deserve it. Do you? Come and prove it. If not then just die._

 _You have until the dawn to prove yourself. Rejoice, for the King grants you this smallest modicum of his patience._

The balance was shattered, leaving her thoughts free to coalesce and decide. The words…the words of condemnation…that she did not deserve to live unless she proved it…it was damning.

Was there any point in living? Her body was ruined and shattered, even if she could survive, what kind of life would she have? A monster…she was a monster…a monster of twisted, rotted flesh, the millions of voices screaming her crimes at her, how she'd stolen everything from her sister, thrown her out, and laughed and enjoyed as her sister shivered in the cold, lived alone with strangers while she had everything she could ever wish for.

And then Sakura really did die.

* * *

She stood alone in the darkness, the pain and the screams gone. She was whole again, her thoughts and memories clear, her soul free of its tortured confines.

She stood as though in a tunnel, in the distance of which at its very end shone the brightest of lights, and yet it was not blinding. Instead, had she shared this memory with anyone after, she would have described it as warmth and joy so great, so _real_ that she could have touched it and wrapped it around herself, never to let go.

And she saw her parents standing there, smiling at her with sad acceptance, her mother with her arms slightly open, and her father with his hands on his cane. She could have stepped forward then and there, and she could never have gone back.

There of all places, in a place that was and was not at the same time, a choice once made cannot be unmade.

Something drew her back.

A question: why?

Why?

Why everything…?

And more than that…the challenge…she didn't want to lose it. Even before her parents who had been gone for years, before joy and warmth like nothing else, she wanted to be something. Something…someone that deserved to live…and in the absence of pain, of the voices screaming all the World's crimes, she made her choice.

Keeping her eyes on her parents she began to turn away. She saw her father smile with approval, and placing an arm over her mother's shoulder nodded at her.

 _Good luck_

Sakura took the step back, back into the World where agony awaited her, and a world defiled by countless battles, crimes, and betrayals.

* * *

Sakura gasped explosively, forcing air into her lungs, her heart beating once more. The voices screamed, slamming into her, but she allowed herself to sink into the darkness. She wanted to live. She wanted to live. SHE WANTED TO LIVE. _SHE WANTED TO LIVE._

 _ **LIVE!**_

Humans were animals. No matter how many philosophers, theologians, or just cracks ranted, raved, and proselytized that it was otherwise, it was a truth that could not be denied, only buried deep within Mankind's soul, buried by the lies they told themselves to justify their supposed superiority over other beings.

For when the thin veneer of civilization is stripped away, like the other animals and beings that roam the Earth, Humans will place their survival, their life above everything else. Their instincts would overcome rationality, replacing it and rendering them little more than the animals they claimed they were not.

Sakura turned, her instincts guiding her. The King said to come to him if she wanted to live, and she did. As her ancestors back in the darkness of prehistory did, she allowed her instincts and senses to guide her, in their case following the echoes to find the direction of their prey, and in her case salvation.

Sakura fell off the cot, landing with a wet, slapping sound against the cold stone floor. For a moment she just lay there, blood and ichor slowly pooling around her, and then she stretched her arm, clawing and dragging herself forward. Bandages and flesh tore, leaving blood, ichor and ruined flesh smeared in her wake.

She reached the wall, and clawed herself up, leaning against it for support. She made her way to the door, still leaning against the wall, and opening it clutched at it as though for dear life. Slowly making her way around it, she threw herself across the corridor, slamming against the other wall.

She stood there, gasping and choking, ichor dripping down from her ruined mouth. And then she continued on her way. With every step, the flesh on her feet tore away, as did the flesh on her palms, joining the blood and ichor that seeped out of her body and through her soaked and rotting bandages and down her body to the ground, leaving a stinking, putrid wake behind her.

By the time she reached the stairwell, the sound of bone tapping against stone could be distinctly heard, but Sakura continued, painstakingly staggering down the stairs, clutching at the railing and the wall for support. Finally, she reached the ground floor, and again threw herself across a corridor to slam against a corridor.

Bone popped as a shoulder gave way, but she refused to give up. She forced herself to continue, to place her feet ahead of its pair one step at a time, following her instincts, her senses as they followed the echoes of the King's voice, to salvation, to _life_.

Finally, she reached the door that led into the church's inner court, and she threw herself forward, aiming for one of the pillars along its roofed sides. She missed, and she staggered and fell wetly to the ground.

The space was open, the echoes diffused, and leaving her senses and instincts helpless. Panic crept up, threatening to drown her, but in its wake came anger. She had come so far only to fail now…

The anger burned hot, and she clenched her fist, and struck the ground again and again, bone and flesh sending echoes, her senses struggling to use them to find what she was seeking. But it was in vain, and she slowly stopped her struggles, despair crashing down like a mountain on her shoulders.

But then, the ruins of her ears twitched, as they picked up the sound of glass tinkling ever so briefly against the floor. And then slowly, she stretched out with an arm and pulled herself forward. And then the other arm, and then the other, dragging her body over cold stone to the source of the sound, driven by desperate hope.

She felt something tear, something being ripped out and drawn from her, left behind and dragging behind her, but she ignored it. Entrails and fragments of ruined organs were left in her wake, amidst smeared blood and ichor, but she dragged herself forward, until at long last, unknown to her at the foot of the Golden King's throne, she disturbed a vial of glass, which fell tinkling to its side before her.

She fumbled, and grabbed the vial, desperately believing it to be the promised salvation. She struggled to open it, but the ruined remains of her fingers could not remove the seal. Despair again fell, but she fought back.

She raised the vial to her mouth, and bit down. Once, twice, three times, until glass shattered, shards and the Elixir of Life flowing down her throat.

Sakura thought she knew pain.

Sakura thought the pain of her ruined body was the worst.

It could even be worse.

A rending scream as though of a dying animal ripped its way out of her throat, her body convulsing under the effects of the elixir. She bent like a bow, ruined flesh tearing from her as ruined organs exploded before replacements grew back in seconds thanks to the divine power of the elixir.

She thrashed and twisted, smoke rising from her body as ichor and rotting, festering flesh burned along with her fouled bandages, and rolling prone, vomited forth bile, ichor, ruined and liquified flesh, and shattered glass. Rolling back, she twitched and thrashed, the convulsions dying down but continuing as the elixir restored her flesh.

Sakura clawed at her face, the ruined scar tissue of her eyes swelling obscenely before they exploded with a shower of blood and ichor, and blue eyes gazed madly into the sky and her surroundings. And then they locked onto a pair of blood-red eyes.

Sakura couldn't look away.

She beheld the Golden King on his throne, nude from the waist up, wearing a skirt-like garment of pure white linen. Gold adorned his neck and wrists, and he looked down at her with amusement and approval.

"You have shown me your strength, and proven your life's worth." The Golden King said.

Sakura continued to convulse, but her eyes remained locked onto the Golden King. "As a token of my recognition, I give you this gift." He continued, dropping a gleaming, bejewelled dagger at his feet. "Let it be a reminder to you of the truth."

The Golden King smiled and tilted his head. "The weak can do nothing save to drag others down by their weakness." He said. "Therefore I declare: only the strong and the beautiful should be allowed to live in this world. Know that this entire world is my garden and I will not suffer the petty spite of the weak to defile it."

The Golden King smiled benevolently as he rose from his throne, and Sakura's convulsions died down, her body whole, pure and untainted as a Human child of eight years could be. "Rest…" he commanded. "…you have earned it. Live, and grow strong."

And as darkness descended over her sight, the Golden King turned, and left in a shower of gold.

* * *

Sakura Tohsaka blinked herself awake, lying in a cot in Kotomine Church. She felt drained, empty, bereft of purpose…no, that wasn't true.

She had purpose. It had been given to her by the Golden King.

It wasn't a dream.

She knew it wasn't, with the certainty of one who'd faced death down and lived to tell the tale.

Sakura rolled out of her cot, and staggering out of the room made her way to the toilet. She reflected as she relieved herself, and the purpose of the Golden King echoed through her thoughts.

 _Strong_

 _Beautiful_

 _Life_

As she washed her face, and looked at herself in the mirror, the memory came back, and she clutched at herself. But even as the first tears fell at her sister's madness, her rejection, again the words of the King echoed.

 _Live, and grow strong._

And she would never forget.

* * *

 _The present day_

The dagger was old. It was forged in the forgotten years of Ancient Sumer, and used to conduct the rituals of the priests and priestesses of the gods of ancient Mesopotamia before being secreted away within the timeless vaults of the Gate of Babylon.

Adding to the accumulated weight of five thousand years was the will and essence of the girl to whom the dagger had been gifted.

The girl's will was strong, enough to turn back at the threshold of the afterlife and return to the World of the Living. It was strong enough to keep the core of her being intact even as its shell was shattered and ruined by one she had loved and still loved.

Even then though, that would not have been enough to break Angra Mainyu's grip on her soul. She could have held it off, but never thrown it off, for what was a Human's will compared to a god's?

Even reduced as it was to its smallest fragment it would have remained, eating at her being.

But her soul was seared. It was scarred, twisted and skewed by concepts incompatible to the god of evil, thanks to the words of a being older than the god or the girl, and who had once spat in the face of an even older and mightier divinity.

Though the girl would never admit it, she believed that so long as she was strong and beautiful, she would live. What mattered it that the World, that Mankind was corrupt, that it deserved to die and burn for its sins, to vanish into the oblivion of the void?

She was strong.

She was beautiful.

And she would grow stronger and even more beautiful still, and so she would live. All the evil in the world mattered not to that truth, breaking the grip of the god of evil.

The dagger did the rest, the same dagger that now flew from the girl's hand, a vengeful cry echoing from her lips as it flew through the air. Rin tearfully glanced at Sakura at the sound, eyes widening in surprise that Sakura would challenge her in such a fashion.

And perhaps, satisfaction: as she had long believed in Sakura's supposedly-treacherous nature, it did not surprise her that she would strike back in such a fashion.

Purple light exploded as the ancient Noble Phantasm struck the back of Rin's left hand. It looked like lightning but it was not, for it did not displace the air, with no crack of thunder to mark its passing.

The pattern of the light was like that of a film of oil on water, disturbed and stretching by the alien object disturbing it. And then the dagger flew back, gems shattered, half-melted to stab into the ground.

"Impossible…!" Sakura said in utter shock. "Conceptual rebound…? How the hell…?"

Rin reeled back, staggering several steps and clutching at her left hand. Smoke rose from a small wound, and as her eyes widened in shock, her skin began to pale, black lines spider-webbing from the wound across her hand and arm.

"Cherry blossoms dance in the breeze!" Sakura said and her body flashed and vanished in a swirl of cherry blossoms. Rin snarled and hurled a ball of lightning that blew the ground apart where Sakura had been standing just moments ago, but nearby, Sakura's discarded sword also vanished in a swirl of cherry blossoms.

Only her dagger was left, and Rin didn't dare approach. She didn't – _refused_ – to believe Sakura's exclamations of shock and surprise. It was just a trick, to try and make her think that what had been done to her, the curse that had been inflicted on her flesh, was an unintended mistake.

Rin sank to her knees, clutching at her arm. Her left arm and hand were unresponsive, the wound oozing black ichor, the flesh pale and shot through with black lines. Worse, she could feel the coldness spreading, up the arm to her shoulder, and across her chest and up her neck.

"Damn you…Sakura…damn you…damn… damn… damn… damn… damn… damn…damn you!" Rin spat. Staggering to her feet, she fled, somehow knowing she should _not_ be anywhere near Shirou in case the worst happened. Something was happening to her, whispers and screams ripping through her thoughts, as she ran between the trees.

And in the skies above, the Moon ominously shrouded itself behind the clouds, and as Shirou awoke and rolled with a groan of pain from stiff and battered muscles, he found himself alone.

* * *

A/N

Gilgamesh: corrupting people since Fate/Zero.


	14. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: I do not own the Fate franchise it belongs to Kinoko Nasu and Type-Moon.

Different Fates

Chapter 13

Shirou gasped as he woke, and with a groan rolled over on one side before struggling to a half-sitting position. His body was stiff, and bones audibly popped as he shifted his body. He was covered with dried blood, but he didn't seem to have any open wounds, at least not anymore.

Sakura Tohsaka had opened him up from hip to shoulder with that _battojutsu_ of hers, and Shirou glumly reflected on this unexpected expression of 'magi walk with death'. It wasn't simply magi not fearing or even delivering death, but the expectation that magi would kill using magic didn't hold true, at least not anymore.

Even if that sword she was holding carried an evil spirit with it, it was still within the domains of the mundane. " _With that said…_ " Shirou thought as he gingerly got to his feet. " _…those bursts of high speed of hers, that was magic no doubt about it. No ordinary person, no matter how skilled, could move that fast._ "

Shirou sighed and rubbed his arms. It was cold, and though his wounds had closed – thanks to his half-forgotten (so much so that he'd never mentioned it to Rin despite years of training under her) healing factor – the blood that had soaked into his clothes hadn't dried completely. And no matter the liquid, wet clothes weren't exactly the warmest to wear.

" _There goes this uniform set._ " Shirou thought. " _It's going to be a pain to get rid of all this blood. But more importantly, where's everybody?_ "

"Rin…?" Shirou called loudly. "Rin, are you here? Are you nearby? Where are you?"

There was no reply, and Shirou set his jaw as he remembered his opponent, and how she'd screamed as Rin had tortured her with lightning. He remembered the smell of burning flesh, so very familiar and yet so very disturbing, at least on a mental level. Physically, his body didn't react to it, so familiar it was thanks to his experiences.

But mentally, it was as disturbing as it should be.

Shirou rubbed his arms again as he remembered the brief exposure to Rin's lightning he'd had. He didn't know why, and while he could still _feel_ pain it just wouldn't affect him as badly as it would, but the brief touch of those red-black bolts had burned like nothing before. It was like something was striking at his very being, ripping into his soul.

" _Lightning bolts are supposed to be blue, aren't they_ " Shirou thought uneasily. The unease grew as he remembered the sheer hatred in Rin's eyes and expression as she tortured Sakura. Shirou knew the two girls were enemies even before this war, but he couldn't help but shudder inwardly at the memory. " _Rin, whatever grudge you have, it's not healthy. Both keeping it, and acting on it._ "

Shirou sighed, and looked around again. And then he froze, a sensation of danger prickling the skin on the back of his neck. If he was to describe it, it was like having an invisible, intangible, but all too lethal blade to one's neck, and as though one was staring into the eyes of a predator about to strike.

He swallowed dryly, and while making sure to keep his circuits inactive to avoid provoking whoever or _whatever_ it was, mentally prepared to use a command spell. And then he turned, slowly but carefully.

It was a giant of a man, wearing armour of red and gold in a style and design Shirou had never seen outside of Chinese dramas set in ancient imperial dynasties. A pair of long tassels hung down behind his armour, and in one hand he held a massive halberd. The warrior smiled with grudging approval.

"You've got good sense, boy." He gruffly remarked. "You felt me approach and place my eyes on you from behind, and more than that reacted with due measure. Not bad at all."

"Who are you?" Shirou asked with a hint of challenge in his voice. In hindsight, he kicked himself inwardly, such a tone could be seen as provocative.

The warrior just laughed. "You have spirit too. Yes, just as you'd expect of Saber's Master. I look forward to the day I cross blades with her, and take from her the title of the strongest Servant." He replied. "Very well, I am the Servant Rider."

"Rider…?" Shirou echoed, and then tensed as Rider began to walk forward.

"Yes, that's what I said." Rider replied, coolly walking past the boy to another part of the clearing. "Was there any need to repeat what I said?"

Shirou grimaced. The Servant had a point. "No, I guess not." He admitted.

"Then don't do it." Rider said. The Servant knelt down, and made to pick up a distorted dagger, its blade partly stuck into the ground. And then he blinked, pausing before picking up the ruined weapon. "This is…"

He glanced at Shirou, and then tucked the dagger into his belt. "Come boy…" he said. "…the little lady of a Master I have waits. And fear not, I won't kill you…yet. She said not to, and to be honest, while I had my doubts, you seem interesting enough in your own way. Killing you now would be a disappointment."

Shirou hesitated, and Rider smiled wolfishly. "You are unwilling to trust me…?" he asked mockingly. "That is wiser than you know. But this time, I give my word you will have safe passage with me. Now follow."

The last was undeniably spoken as a command, and with a sigh, Shirou followed after a few moments.

 _Even though he said it was wise_ _ **not**_ _to trust him, it would be stupid to not trust his word immediately after he gave it. I just hope I won't regret this._

 _And if worse comes to worse, well I have command spells don't I?_

* * *

"Tohsaka…!"

Sakura paused wrapping herself with bandages before resuming. Shirou looked taken aback by such apparent disdain, and then noticing that apart from her panties Sakura was naked, blushed and looked away.

Not that much bare flesh could be seen, of course. Most of Sakura's body was covered with bandages, and she was wrapping even more over burnt sections. He'd also noticed that her hair had been cut, raggedly-so, giving her a rather tomboyish air.

Though even with the bandages, he could see enough to see an unsurprisingly-toned and slender form. "Enjoying the peek…?" Sakura asked, and Shirou blushed some more.

"There's not much to see…" he began, and then audibly brought up his hands to cover his mouth, his eyes wide as Sakura shot him a dirty look.

 _I can't believe I just said that._

"How are you still walking?" Sakura demanded. "I slit you open, didn't I? And speaking of which, how were you able to fight so well with a ruined shoulder? And there was also Rin's cursed lightning."

"The lightning was cursed?"

"You think it was red because she wanted it to be?" Sakura asked back shortly. And then she took a deep breath. "Sorry, that was rude. Yes, it was cursed. There's a reason I can't heal these wounds on my own, I need spiritual surgery to deal with them. Though…"

Sakura paused and flexed a bandaged arm. Heat flickered through her flesh as she rhythmically cycled prana through her crest. "Well at least my circuits are working fine." She said before turning back to Shirou. "Well, how about you?"

"I heal fast." He replied.

"Is that right?" Sakura said with a raised eyebrow. She gave a short laugh. "Very fast, I see. No matter…Rider, did you get what I asked you to get?"

"This dagger of yours feels wrong, little lady." He said while tossing her the dagger. "Whatever it was that turned it into a piece of slag, it did…something else, to it as well."

"Quite…" Sakura remarked, running her fingers over the ruined blade. "…cancelling most of the curse's effects on me, and that rebound, that's probably why it feels wrong. But, that conceptual rebound…it doesn't make sense."

Rider was silent, and after a moment Sakura put the ruined weapon into her bag nearby. She glanced at Shirou. "Would you like to come along?" she asked, again resuming on wrapping herself with bandages.

"Go where…?"

"To find answers, of course…" Sakura replied. "…considering your relationship with Rin Emiya-senpai, I wouldn't be surprised if you did. Or perhaps you'd like to go home?"

"And where exactly do you expect to find those answers?"

"The Overseer of this war, that's who."

"I thought he was supposed to be neutral."

Sakura smiled. "Politics will be politics." She cryptically said. "And besides, part of the Overseer's role is to ensure the smooth running of the Holy Grail War, or as it is better known, the Heaven's Feel ritual. And personally, I would think a conceptual rebound involving an ancient ritual dagger from ancient Sumer and a girl only my age is something that _might_ require his attention."

"That dagger of yours was from Sumer?" Shirou gaped. "And it got turned into _that_ …? What the hell?"

"What the hell indeed." Sakura said with a laugh. "Cherry blossoms dance in the breeze."

Shirou blinked and watched wide-eyed as illusionary cherry blossoms flew through the air, swirled around Sakura, and coalesced into the school uniform. "You're going out dressed in an illusion?" he asked.

"Most people won't be able to see through it." Sakura said, walking out of the school infirmary followed by Rider and belatedly by Shirou. "And if they can see through it, well as you said Emiya-senpai, there's not much to see."

"Yeah, sorry about that, I don't know what came over me." Shirou said with a nervous laugh.

Sakura scoffed but didn't say anything. Rider however took advantage of the silence to speak up as they left the school building. "Can you trust the Overseer?" he asked.

"He's an old friend and mentor of mine." She said. "Though, in some ways he reminds me of you in hindsight, so maybe…I'll have to be careful."

Rider snorted, while Shirou just looked curious. "Well…" Sakura continued. "…he hasn't given me reason to distrust him in the past, so I'll trust in him as ever. But in the future that might change: he might have been my father's apprentice, and my mentor in magecraft, but he's still a retired Church Executor. And I am a magus."

"I thought the Church saw magecraft as heresy." Shirou remarked.

"They do." Sakura agreed. "But the Executors and other members of the Eighth Holy Sacrament as well as the Burial Agency are allowed to study and even use magecraft in pursuit of their duty. Though to be honest I never really got their reasoning why it's fine for them and not for everybody else. In any case Kirei always seemed content with me shrugging it off as 'it's better some of us damn ourselves using the Enemy's tools to defeat him, so others don't have to'."

"And you're a member of this Eighth Holy Sacrament?"

Sakura laughed at that, surprisingly cheerfully. "Oh no…" she said with a smile over her shoulder. "…though when I was younger, I did say I might take a look into it."

"And what did this 'Kirei' say?"

"That's 'Father Kotomine' to you, Emiya-senpai." Sakura said chidingly. "As for your question, he laughed."

"That's it…?"

"Yes, that's it." Sakura said with a shrug. "Oh and he said, 'it's your choice'. Well he's not exactly wrong, though my ancestors would turn in their graves if I became a priestess."

Sakura shrugged again, and then stopped walking as they reached the school entrance. She turned to Shirou. "Well, what do you plan to do?" she asked. "Will you come with us to Kotomine Church or not? If no, then you should get home as quickly as you can, or if you want you can wait here until your Servant can rendezvous with you."

"You're just letting me go like that?"

"You saved my life." Sakura replied bluntly. "A life for a life, isn't that so?"

Shirou looked unconvinced. "This doesn't make sense." He said. "Apart from me being Rin's apprentice…"

"You are her apprentice…" Sakura interrupted. "…but it doesn't look like she shares all her secrets with you. For one thing, I assumed your Servant – Saber – was on guard either at your or at her house. But my familiars tell me all Saber is doing is cooling her heels – and irritably so – at your place. And Archer broke off at high speed at our battle's conclusion, allowing Rider to come here quickly. And more tellingly than that…"

Sakura paused, her eyes narrowed. "You certainly don't seem aware of her lightning's cursed nature." She said.

"Because of our earlier conversation…?" Shirou asked dryly. "I can lie too, you know? I don't like it, and I don't usually do it, but I can do it."

"True…" Sakura said. "…but you put yourself between me and her lightning, in a way. And she left you behind. It's rather flimsy I know, but my instincts tell me you're not privy to everything about her. And I wouldn't be surprised. Apprentice or not, only family, usually the heir, know the greatest mysteries of a magus."

"I feel a 'but' coming." Shirou replied.

"Some mysteries are better left untouched." Sakura said. "So what'll it be?"

Shirou lowered his face in thought. On one hand, if he accompanied Sakura Tohsaka to Kotomine Church, he'd effectively be cooperating with her. And that could be seen as betrayal, no, Rin _would_ see it _as_ betrayal.

But…on the other hand, something was wrong. Assuming Sakura wasn't lying, then her ancient ritual dagger from ancient Sumer no less had been destroyed by Rin's defences. And while normally Shirou wouldn't be concerned by that, he remembered the ominous colour of Rin's lightning, and he knew that when it came to magic, there was no such thing as coincidences.

 _What should I do?_

He raised his head and looked at the silently waiting Sakura. This could also be a trap, meant to draw him into a false sense of security and then drop him along the way to Kotomine Church…if they were even really going there.

 _I'm getting paranoid. I know it comes with being a magus but I still don't like it._

 _But all the same, I need answers._

Shirou clenched his fists. His mind, partly-honed and aligned to think as a magus warned him against trusting Sakura, and to look for Rin instead. But his instincts, the same instincts that had kept him alive as a child as he walked through a sea of fire, they told him to trust in Sakura for now, and to stay cautious, because there was something just _wrong_ with Rin's red lightning, even if he didn't know what.

Shirou took a deep breath, and made his decision. "Tohsaka…" he began. "…can I borrow a familiar?"

"Huh?"

"I need to send a message."

* * *

The girl staggered down the street, breathing hard and sweating as she worked her way through the night crowds, every so often bracing herself against a wall with one hand. A few people half-heartedly noticed her appearance and asked if she were alright, but she ignored them. Most however, did not care.

 _No one cares…no one…if family doesn't care…why would complete strangers?_

Rin Matou continued down the street, clutching at her left hand. A ragged wound bled and dripped black ichor, the surrounding flesh pale and shot through with black lines, reaching up to her arm and across her shoulder to extend into her neck and chest.

And there was something else as well. It wasn't physical, not really, though the feelings it brought were. She felt…bloated, heavy and sluggish, as though something was in her and was trying to get out, even if it had to rip her apart to do so.

It wasn't an alien sensation either. Training felt much the same way, the worms outside either chewing their way in or forcing themselves through her body's orifices, and then making them at home inside of her.

 _Flesh bloated and squirmed, grotesquely and rhythmically so, as though many wormlike things distended tissue and displaced organs within. Limbs thrashed and writhed in time with the squirming, choked moans and gasps echoing in the darkness, born of the mindless, carnal pleasure that ironically came with the inhuman torture._

But there was something more this time. Rin felt bloated and heavy, nauseous even, but she also felt thirsty. It wasn't for water or any drink either, not even baser temptations which she usually sated by spending the night with Shirou. If anything, the thought of food and drink worsened the nausea, and her body, so used to enter into a heat-like state at a moment's notice, felt unresponsive at the thought of finding a warm mate to spread her legs for.

It was something she should be thankful for, but Rin couldn't. The thirst consumed her, burning her throat in an agony that drowned out even the urges ignited by the hormone-like fluids of the worms in her, and which her nerves had become all too accepting of.

Rin tried to let it sink into the background, to let it become routine and something to not care about, just like her nightmare of a life had always been. There was little or nothing she could do about it after all. But this time…there was something more. Resentment had always been there, and even hatred, but like everything else they usually just faded into the background.

Not this time…this time the resentment and hatred bubbled and boiled to the surface even as the nightmare sank into the background. There was a shadow now, and it called for revenge, not just against the ones who had betrayed her, used her, but against a world that let such things happen.

 _I hate this world. It doesn't deserve to exist. This world should burn._

Rin continued on her way, her face twisted into an ugly sneer as she made her way down the street. The sound of obnoxious music, boisterous voices, and careless laughter poured out from stores and restaurants all around, mixing with the dull sound of vehicles and the inane chatter of the crowds.

 _Look at them so happy. They know nothing of how filthy this world is, and even if they did they wouldn't care. They'd happily cover themselves with its filth and revel in it, carrying on without a care._

 _It makes me sick._

 _This entire is world is filthy. Everyone in it is filthy. I am the filthiest of them all._

 _Is there a reason for continuing to exist? There is none. Everything should just vanish. Everyone should just die. No more life…no more hope…no more pain and suffering…all equal in darkness._

 _For a hundred billion years and more…until the universe ends…until eternity ends…until then…sweetness…sweet oblivion and silence..._

Obnoxious lights shone down from overhead, the building crowds jostling and bumping her around. She stumbled and fell, spilling a nearby garbage can even as she fell to her knees. "Hey are you alright?" someone nearby asked. The concern in his voice made her sick.

 _Such falsity…_

"That was a bad fall…and you don't look so good. Are you alright Miss? Hey…"

Rin clutched at her face with one hand, falling forward on her other hand. Her breathing came hard and heavy, something building inside of her, hot and angry, raging barely in control.

"Miss…?"

"What's wrong with her?"

"Is she sick?"

"She certainly looks it."

"She could be on drugs. You never know how hookers are these days."

"You really think she's on drugs then?"

"All of you…" Rin snarled in a voice that was hers and not hers all at the same time. "…this entire world…everything and everyone…"

A concerned bystander placed a cautious hand on a shoulder and then recoiled as static sparked and she threw a fiery glance at him. "JUST DIE!" she screamed, her eyes blazing and her body crackling with corposant.

Fire exploded outwards, screaming filling the air as an entire block and more was consumed. And in the heart of the flames, darkness was born, feeding on the souls of the dead and the dying, spiralling into existence as the girl screamed her rage, her hatred, her agony and loneliness at an uncaring world.

It had no form, just a shadow and a point of no existence, a void in the fabric of reality, a bottomless pit, and an endless passageway that led to nothing. For several moments it hung there, a shadow wreathed in flame as the girl collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut. Without her it had no real purpose, at least not yet.

But it thirsted, seeking to slake its endless thirst, to fill the emptiness though it could never truly be filled, no matter how many souls it consumed. It could devour the entire world, and it would remain.

Not that it knew this, of course. It had no will, no intellect, just a void. But the girl was a puppet in more ways than one, and as her consciousness disappeared into the darkness of unconsciousness, another will took over.

 _Feed._

 _Drink your fill._

 _We have to work do._

The flames swirled and rose higher, and as the first firemen arrived and began pouring water into the fire to try and put it out, the shadow erupted outwards. Flames wreathed its non-existent form, and screams erupted as the fires exploded out of control, erupting destructively outward like a blooming flower of death.

* * *

In the depths of the Matou mansion, Zouken Matou laughed low and slow, every tone filled with satisfaction. In truth, he hadn't been certain if the girl could be used as her sister could have been, lacking the Imaginary Numbers' affinity for the Grail. Indeed, when he'd taken her in, she had seemed simply a future womb for future generations of Matou magi, to be bred as needed, and once her usefulness in that matter had run its course, to be discarded or recycled as a future vessel for his soul.

But the girl had embraced the power that had been fused with his worms, and had in turn been fused into her flesh. In so doing her soul had melted, the shadow bleeding into and binding it to itself, the two aspects _engraving_ into each other.

Did not her ability to mix Angra Mainyu's curse with her elemental attacks prove it?

And now, whatever had happened in the battle between the Tohsaka girl and his granddaughter had finally awakened the shadow. In a way, he had to thank the Tohsaka girl and his treacherous grandson. If not for them it was likely it wouldn't have progressed to this point during the war, if at all.

Yes, things were finally beginning to look up for him. Soon, the enemy would be destroyed, for how could they match this darkness born of the Grail itself? Every last Master and Servant would be destroyed, including that dangerous survivor of the Holy Grail War or the dangerously-gifted Tohsaka girl.

 _Truly, the Tohsaka material, all of it, was never defective._

Zouken smiled as his laughter stilled, and a thought occurred to him. " _The girl might still have some will left in her after this._ " He thought. " _It's troublesome, but nothing insurmountable. Because in the end, the last of her will can be broken whenever I want, and no thanks to her own actions in the past._ "

Yes, the current situation was just fine.

Soon he would have the Grail. Soon he would be immortal. And then…

* * *

Archer watched as flames burned out of control in the distance. Already it had consumed several districts, and was continuing to spread and consume anything and everything it touched.

A part of him, the part of him that would always be a hero, who would sacrifice himself for others no matter how much the rest of his being raged against the poisoned beliefs which had dragged him into an unending hell, wanted to go down there. It wanted to leap into the flames, to rescue the injured, to get people who would otherwise be caught in the flames to safety…

…and maybe, someone, he would finally meet someone who could make him smile like that man, who had smiled as though he hadn't saved someone but had been saved himself.

But he held back.

There was nothing he could do. If he went down there, all he would meet was death. Death in the form of a black shadow, the World's Evil made real, wreathed in flame.

 _No Imaginary Numbers. There are only the Five Elements. The Shadow is different, and yet it is no less destructive than it was in a different life._

Archer clenched his fists. There were so many things he cursed. He cursed the World for having evil that could be incarnated in the first place. He cursed magic, for without magic something like this would never have come to pass.

He cursed Tokiomi Tohsaka, for giving away his daughter and giving Zouken what he needed to harness the power of the Grail for his own ends. He cursed Zouken for turning an innocent little girl into a monster, for making her life a living hell, and for even existing in the first place.

He cursed Rin for allowing her emotions to rule her, allowing the Shadow to come forth.

He cursed Sakura for provoking Rin, shattering her control and allowing the Shadow to become real.

He cursed Shirou for being unable to anchor Rin, leading to the Shadow's birth.

And he cursed himself for being powerless in the face of evil.

And then, as he cursed himself and others beside, in the distance the flames roared up, and then as though being pulled into a central point like water draining from a tub, swirled inwardly and imploded into nothingness. Archer's eyes widened.

 _Where? Where will the Shadow strike?_

* * *

A/N

And now, things go to hell.

Guest: I didn't skip it. But Rin has long been using – in part at least – the power of the tainted Grail, so the dagger should have an effect like in the last chapter. She isn't dark yet, though it's _probably_ only a matter of time now.


	15. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: I do not own the Fate franchise it belongs to Kinoko Nasu and Type-Moon.

Different Fates

Chapter 14

Servant Assassin, or as he claimed himself to be Sasaki Kojirou, wasn't truly a Heroic Spirit, at least not in the conventional sense. For you see, the person 'Sasaki Kojirou' didn't exist. People spoke of him, about how he mastered the ways of the sword, how he fought the legendary Miyamoto Musashi, and his legendary swordsmanship technique _tsubame gaeshi_ and how it and him could cut down a swallow in mid-flight.

And that was precisely the point: people _spoke_ of him.

He existed solely in their imagination, never in reality. He never really faced Miyamoto Musashi, the confrontation merely embellishment by story-tellers to make the tale grander, more enticing and attractive to those who would listen. He was a ghost, a figment of their imagination, nothing more and nothing less.

So with that said, one could conclude that everything else about his 'legend' could be dismissed.

If so, then one would be wrong. 'Sasaki Kojirou' might never have existed, but there _was_ a swordsman with the skills attributed to the legend, down to the famous _tsubame gaeshi_. His name had been forgotten, and he had no connection whatsoever with the legend. That he had the skills attributed to the legend, is simply and purely coincidence, no matter how many savants would rant that there were no such things as coincidences. And thanks to this coincidence, he could be summoned as a Servant, one that assumed the false identity of Sasaki Kojirou.

He was connected to the Ryuudo Temple of Fuyuki City, and it was from that connection that he was summoned by the malfunctioning Holy Grail. There were other factors too, such as his Master being a Servant herself. As a magus, she had the right to a Servant, but properly-speaking a Servant being a Master was an anomaly.

An anomalous Servant for an anomalous Master: they fitted together quite well. Not that they would admit it: Assassin found Caster a distasteful Master, while Caster saw him as a mere tool, to protect the weak spot of her defences over Ryuudo Temple with.

In short, Assassin was a false Heroic Spirit, and an anomalous Servant, but for all that he was not to be dismissed out of hand so easily. His skill was real after all, and anyone who tried to break past him without a care would soon find cause to regret it.

At least that's what he predicted.

Assassin narrowed his eyes, his sword held relaxed but ready in one hand as he waited in front of the temple gates. _Something_ was coming. Apart from the fact that friends approached openly, his Master did _not_ have friends, and it was late in the night, his instincts, his sword-sense, his touch for battle honed and refined over decades of life in a war-torn land, and more than that his reflexes bent to perceive and focus on a swallow in flight: they all warned him.

 _Something_ was coming.

 _It_ was here.

Moonlight flashed off steel as Assassin parried hundreds of needle-like projectiles that flew at him _en masse_ up the stairway. They were fast, faster than the swallow he had sought and had cut, but it was meaningless. Dark streaks splashed harmlessly away from him as he caught and turned every last needle of shadow – though shadows should not be able to be used in such a way – hurled at him for several seconds.

Speed was meaningless. He had trained himself to strike from three different directions _all at the same time_. Unless one equalled, surpassed, or rendered that level of achievement moot, nothing could beat his sword in a question of speed.

Idly he noted that wherever the shadows landed, it degraded. Stone hissed as the shadows faded away, pockmarked as though struck by drops of acid. Grass and leaves withered, and spots of rot appeared on wood.

The attack slackened and stopped, but Assassin did not lower his sword. "Won't you show yourself?" he challenged.

He blinked and his eyes widened. Down below him, on the nearest landing, there was a sphere of shadow, one that rippled as though coated with oil, but it cast no shadow in the Moonlight. It was as though it wasn't even there, and yet the longer Assassin stared at it, the more his instincts told him to run, to get out of there as quickly as he could, while he still could.

The second passed, and then the shadow erupted, distorting into an octopus-like form, tentacles streaking up to surround him. Assassin swung his sword in a powerful circle, sparks flying as the edge ground against impossibly-solid darkness, the tentacles recoiling as the 'body' shot forward with incredible speed.

Assassin raised his sword, and brought it down two-handed.

Steel broke, shattering into glittering shards which quickly dissolved in prana. Assassin collapsed face-first onto the ground, blood pooling around him from his ruined torso.

Through the haze of pain, defeat, and shame that clouded his thoughts, he discerned the sounds of displaced air, breaking earth, stone, and wood behind him. And closer to him, he heard the sound of insect wings, many, MANY, **MANY** insect wings buzzing through the air.

He felt something alight, softly onto him, and perceived but couldn't understand words being whispered in the night. Something was keeping him from healing, _something_ had taken what little prana he had, given to him by his Master, and _**something**_ was tearing through his flesh, devouring it, using him as a way to become real, and in a way to be _born_ into the World.

As his flesh exploded in a spray of blood and viscera, and as he vanished back into the void, Assassin's last thoughts were how it was such a shame he had not had the opportunity to use his secret sword technique. It should have been glorious.

What a shame.

* * *

Kirei Kotomine raised an eyebrow as he saw Sakura and Shirou approach, the latter's clothes covered with dried blood, and the former…

"Have you taken up exhibitionism now?" he asked.

"Oh very funny…" Sakura said with the roll of her eyes. "…however now is not the time for jokes."

Kirei glanced behind her and Shirou, at Saber and Rider clearly quietly belligerent behind their Masters. "Yes I can see that." He said. "Saber's Master clearly looks like he's taken a few swipes from the business end of that sword of yours. And you…you are covered in bandages."

"You can see through her illusions?" Shirou asked.

"Boy…" Kirei said smugly. "…I don't know why she hasn't told you, but I used to be an Executor. Illusions like hers, while good, better than most in fact, but are not quite the best just yet."

"S-she's told me." Shirou stammered out. Something was off about the priest, setting off alarm bells in the back of his mind. "That you used to be an Executor, that is."

"I see."

"This is Shirou Emiya." Sakura said with a nod at Shirou. "He's Rin's apprentice, and Saber's Master. However we've called truce between us in light of a…potentially troubling situation."

"Shirou…Emiya…?" Kirei echoed. Sakura raised an eyebrow while Shirou's misgiving about the priest grew deeper. There was just something…disturbing, with the way he smiled, even more so when that smile grew ever so slightly sinister at the mention of his name.

Kirei clapped his hands together, dramatically. "And…?" he asked. "What might this potentially troubling situation involve? So much so in fact, that you'd call truce despite the irreconcilable gap between the current generations of Matou and Tohsaka…?"

"Before that…" Sakura said. "…patch me up first."

Kirei raised an eyebrow as Sakura dispelled her illusion spell. "Your crest should have several healing spells in it, if I remember correctly." He said.

"If those could work, I'd have used them already." Sakura said with a roll of her eyes. "Rin shot me up with lightning."

"Ah, I see." Kirei said with comprehension. Cursed wounds then…

However…ah, of course: the King of Heroes' lessons were seared into her soul. The physical effects would apply, but the spiritual ones would slide off. Funny how such interesting children were born to someone as mediocre – admittedly so by the man himself – like Tokiomi Tohsaka…

One could apply a god of evil's curse – somehow – to her elemental attacks.

The other had clawed her way into the King of Heroes' good graces, and then turned her ancestor Nagato Tohsaka's dreams into reality (in part at least).

"Very well then…" he said, gesturing for Sakura to accompany him further into the church. He glanced at the Servants and Shirou Emiya. "…please quietly wait here for us to return. I will then determine whether or not it is a matter for me the Overseer, to get involved in. Until then, I will hold you to the truce of this place. Well then…"

With a bow that was at once respectful as it was mocking, Kirei left, following after Sakura into the church. Uncomfortable silence descended, Shirou glancing at both Saber and Rider. They glanced back at him, and he laughed weakly before coughing and taking a seat nearby.

Rider smiled as Saber subtly positioned herself between him and her Master. "So…" he began. "…you are Servant Saber, the strongest of the Servants."

"So I am." Saber replied neutrally. "What of it?"

Rider laughed softly. "I was just thinking." He said. "That it would be disappointing, if you held that post only to fall short on the battlefield."

"I could say the same for you." Saber replied with her voice still as neutral as ever. "As I recall the Rider Class holds the title 'terror of the battlefield'. It would be disappointing if the class should weep at your shortcomings, Rider."

"Saber…!" Shirou snapped, but Rider just laughed again.

"I will hold you to those words, Saber." He said with a bloodthirsty smile.

Saber was unfazed, and just nodded at Rider. "Likewise, Rider." She said, and Rider's smile grew wider.

* * *

"I am curious."

"About what…?" Sakura asked. The girl was lying naked on an examination table, while the priest fussed over her body and conducted spiritual surgery to repair the damage done by Rin's cursed lightning.

Dead flesh was excised, dead skin scoured away, damaged nerves soothed and repaired, ruptured blood vessels sealed and reconnected, injured flesh trimmed and encouraged to grow, and scar tissue was carefully replaced with regrown and healthy flesh. It wasn't that there was no pain, but Sakura took it all without flinching.

She'd been through worse.

As for being naked, well he _was_ a man of the cloth, so she could trust him. And it wasn't like he hadn't seen her naked before, eight years ago. Granted, she was a half-cooked, already-beginning-to-rot slab of meat at the time, but that was beside the point.

More importantly, the burns covered most of her body, and if she wanted the recovery to be even across the board, then he needed to see everything. And in any case, it certainly seemed that he was keeping objective while working on her injuries.

"Your relationship with that boy, that is."

"I was trying my level best to cripple him so I could take his command spells." Sakura replied. "I succeeded, only for that Matou magus to interfere. And here we are."

"Curious…"

"Again…? What is it this time?"

Kirei smiled. "Now, now…" he said. "…there is no need to be so snappy at me. However it just seems to me that the injuries you've taken are rather less than they should be, considering the depths of that girl's hatred for you."

"She moderated herself at first, that's why." Sakura replied. "Maximum pain and minimum damage: she was trying to make me beg. She only got serious after I literally spat at her."

"That strikes me as rather unwise, especially as I assume that she had you at her mercy." Kirei remarked dryly. He even stopped working to look at her with an expression that carried a mix of disappointment and chiding. Sakura rolled her eyes at the sight.

"It is better to die standing that to live on one's knees." She shot back, and this time it was Kirei's turn to roll his eyes.

"People and their pride…" he groused before getting back to work. "…so how did you avoid getting turned into a half-cooked slab of meat this time? You did say she got serious after that."

"That Emiya boy charged in and forced her to disengage." Sakura said. "He got jolted by it too, and Rin started bawling over his unconscious body."

"Teenagers…" Kirei said with another roll of his eyes. "…so despite how…unprofessional, sleeping with your apprentice is, she couldn't stop herself from jumping him?"

Sakura laughed. "Yeah, it certainly seems that way." She said. "Though even before the battle, it was basically an open secret in school that they were an item."

"An item…? Really…?"

"I'm not my father if that's what the sarcasm was for." Sakura said with a shrug. "I am free to use plebeian words as I please."

"Yes…" Kirei said with a smile. "…and that rather, prideful, way of talking is also very much like your father now that I think about it…"

"Well…he was my father…so, uh…"

Kirei laughed. "Yes, he was your father, so taking after him is nothing to be ashamed of." He said.

Sakura laughed too. "You said it." She said. Silence fell, apart from the rustling of cloth as Kirei continued to work on patching Sakura up. Eventually, the priest broke it.

"So what happened after the Emiya boy's heroics?" he asked.

Sakura shrugged. "I had to recover for a bit." She said before making a mischievous smile. "You could say I had to reboot my systems."

"A comedian you are not." Kirei deadpanned, and Sakura scowled. Kirei smiled at _that_.

"Anyway…" Sakura said, sounding annoyed. "…I threw my dagger at her. You know the one the Golden King gave me eight years ago. He's not here is he?"

"No he isn't." Kirei said. "I imagine that Rin Matou's reaction is why you are here."

"Well, something along that line yes."

"And from the sound of things the Golden King as you call him would not be happy at what happened either."

Sakura made a sound like a stuffed toy getting stepped on. "Just who is he, anyway?" she eventually said. "I've never met him before or after what happened eight years ago, but you seem to know in any case."

"And as I've told you in the past, it's not my place to tell." Kirei said. "When he decides to see you, he'll probably tell you."

Sakura muttered something rude under her breath, something Kirei couldn't quite catch. Surprisingly annoyed, he poked at a collection of nerves but to his disappointment it didn't even seem to register.

 _Figures…_

"So what happened after you threw the dagger?" he asked.

"That's part of the discussion for after treatment."

"Fair enough…"

Again, silence fell. Kirei continued to work, half an hour passing before he began finishing up. It was then that Sakura spoke. "Honestly…" she complained. "…she was rather hot-tempered as a child if I remember right, but she grew up to be quite a bitch."

"Well aren't you pulling up some spine all of a sudden?" Kirei remarked with a smile.

"I'm getting stiff lying here for nearly an hour now." She complained. "At least back then I had a whole world of pain to accompany me plus staying sane, no, staying **ALIVE** to keep me distracted, but now…? Ugh…"

"Can you blame her though?" Kirei asked. "You did steal her inheritance after all."

"How very petty of her then…" Sakura snapped. "…first of all I had no say in the matter. Second, it was our father's decision on who would become the Tohsaka heiress. I'll admit that…I uh…I didn't want to go, and leave my parents or rather my mother behind…"

"Mommy's girl…?"

"That's not nearly as insulting as mommy's boy…" Sakura said with a roll of her eyes. "…but that's beside the point. As I said, it was father's decision…"

"And your father wouldn't have to make that decision if you hadn't started studying magecraft on your own."

"Yes, and I wouldn't have been able to do so if you hadn't helped me, remember?"

" _Miss Sakura, what are you doing here?" Kirei Kotomine asked. He blinked at the girl who was sitting on her legs on the ground, one of her hands clearly burnt. He then glanced at the bookshelf in the Tohsaka workshop and understood._

 _Her Tohsaka blood had allowed her to enter the workshop unhindered, but apparently the defences of the materials were much more formidable. In truth, he was rather surprised – if not disappointed though he would never admit it – that she only had a burnt hand out of it._

 _Kneeling down, he took the five year-old girl's hand and began to heal it. "So…" he said. "…what are no, it is obvious that's the wrong question. Why were you trying to get a book from the bookshelf?"_

 _Sakura mumbled something indecipherable, but Kirei could guess. "Only the heiress may be taught magic." He said. "That is tradition."_

" _It doesn't say anything about me learning magic on my own." Sakura snapped in a childish petulant tone. Kirei should chide her for it, and what she was trying to do, but at the same time, he couldn't deny the truth of her words._

 _Magi tradition only dictated that one magus per generation would be taught, and inherit the crest. It didn't say anything about 'spares' being forbidden from learning on their own. Indeed, implicitly it was up to each family, and as far he knew, his master hadn't forbidden Sakura from learning magic. If anything he simply ignored her as a magus._

" _And why do you want to learn magic on your own?" he asked._

 _The girl didn't answer, simply looking away guiltily. "Jealousy is a sin, you know." He said, sliding his book back into the shelf. For a moment he hesitated, and then with a sigh he looked for and found a book which he handed to the surprised girl. "But, then again it's not like you are wrong either. Very well, I shall assist you in your endeavour, on the condition that you take responsibility for yourself if and when you father finds out."_

 _Sakura took the book, stared at it, and then stared at Kirei. Kirei stared back, outwardly calm but inwardly despairing at the lack of feeling when he gave the book to the girl. Why? He'd helped her, didn't he? That was a good deed wasn't it? So why didn't he feel anything?_

" _A word of advice…" he said. "…you lack elemental affinities of any kind, so there's no point in studying elemental magic. Just study magical fundamentals for now, as far I know your sorcery trait won't come into play until you reach a more advanced level."_

 _Sakura blinked, stared at the book, and then back to Kirei. Kirei stared back, and then Sakura got to her feet and bowed at the waist. "Um…thank you very much!" she said, and Kirei nodded. As the girl ran off, Kirei looked after her and then back at the bookshelf and sighed._

Kirei recalled the memory emotionlessly, and finished his work as Sakura concluded a rambling defence of why she couldn't be blamed for doing as all younger siblings did and should be expected for doing, that is to chase after and equal if not surpass an older sibling's achievement. "Very well…" he said. "…I'll admit there is merit in your implicit argument that Rin Matou is being…immature, with her vendetta against you. First, you had no say in the inheritance. Second it was your father's decision. Third, I too am at fault – assuming you stole the inheritance as she erroneously believes – for assisting you, though that would also compound your guilt for acting out of jealousy. But…!"

Kirei smiled, holding up a hand to forestall a heated retort. "Finally, as you say, you are her younger sister." He said. "You are within your rights to chase after her."

"But…?"

"Oh clever aren't you?" Kirei asked. "Aren't you being rather immature too?"

"What?"

"Let he who casts the first stone be free of sin."

"And what is that supposed to mean?"

"Who's to say that if you _hadn't_ become the Tohsaka heiress, you wouldn't have grown up, as you put it, a bitch?"

"W-w-well…that is…eh…uh…"

Kirei laughed soft and long. "See what I mean?" he said. "You yourself admitted just recently that you didn't want to be separated from your parents, and implicitly your family. And it was out of a sense of family that you reached out a hand to her eight years ago, was it not? Who is to say that your 'new family' as the Matou could have been would have restrained you? They certainly did not Rin Matou."

"W-well that's…!"

"Good parents or rather families do not have children trying to kill other children out of spite."

Sakura said nothing, only making a sound resembling a stuffed toy getting stepped on again. Kirei laughed again. "See what I mean?" he asked. "If she is angry over the 'theft' of her inheritance, _you_ would have been angry at being separated from your family..."

"I got it, I got it!" Sakura said unhappily. "Honestly…"

Kirei laughed again. "Well then…" he said. "…the operation is finished. You know where the toilet is, so why don't you fix your hair while I get some clothes for you. Fortunately I have a dryer so apart from a quick wash of your, ahem, underwear it can be dried quickly too. If you'll excuse me…"

With a bow, Kirei left Sakura to her own devices.

* * *

The temple complex lay in ruins around the two combatants. Entire structures had been reduced to rubble, or left as burnt-out husks. One of the combatants was just a void in the form of sphere that cast no shadow, its surface unreflecting of light save when it rippled from within every so often.

The other was an elfin sorceress that boiled with rage as she hovered in the sky above. Her cloak had been torn to shreds, and her staff shook with supressed rage. For amidst the ruins below, among the corpses of the monks that had once called the temple home, was the body of one Souichirou Kuzuki.

In contrast the Shadow didn't really care, nor did it feel anything apart from its own endless hunger. It didn't have any purpose of its own, at least not yet, apart from that given by the one which controlled its host at present. And so it hovered there, following the given directive which replaced the one before.

"I've had enough!" Caster spat. She raised her staff high overhead, the skies glowing purple with countless magic circles at the gesture. "You…you…you killed Souichirou-sama…! I will never forgive you!"

The magic circles flashed and then erupted with blazing barrage of purple beams that left the ground hot and molten. Smoke, debris and vapour filled and shrouded the air, and had Caster seen through them she would have seen a beam punching _into_ the Shadow, and _not_ emerge from it. The Shadow glutted itself freely, to little avail at quenching its bottomless hunger.

But now a new directive came, and it vanished, imploding on itself before the clouds could shift and reveal it once more. As the clouds dispersed, leaving the broken and burning ruins exposed, Caster floated down, and collapsing to her knees, clutched at herself and began to sob.

"Again…" she sobbed. "…again…I…I…"

She had been summoned by some arrogant and entitled upstart of a magus, who had been somehow offended that she surpassed him as a magus. Well what did he expect? The Caster Class was supposed to be superior to their Masters, that was part of their title, '…wielding mysteries superior to or forgotten by modern magi.'

Worse, the little monster had opted to drain the life force of children to power his mysteries. Granted, she wasn't exactly one to talk about that considering her history, and that after she met Souichirou Kuzuki she'd done similarly to provide her with prana and extend the time she could spend with him.

Like (former) Master, like Servant: the universe simply loved its ironies, no?

Though in her defence, she hadn't drained anyone to the point of death like the little bastard had planned to…but, in the end that too was an excuse wasn't it? All for the sake of a pathetic woman like her…

But all that meant nothing now. Kuzuki was dead, the one man who she allowed her heart to open to _despite_ having sworn never to do so after all the betrayals of her past, and someone she genuinely believed would be different. And he certainly seemed so. For when the…thing, came tearing through a wall, he had grabbed her by the collar and thrown her clear through a wood and paper door to safety, before being torn apart by the thing.

The memory caused Caster's tears to worsen, but only for a moment. Grief was soon replaced by something else, something that she hadn't felt in a long time, not even against the pathetic fool who had summoned her: rage.

The last time she had felt this she had burned a woman alive with her own wedding robes, and had called down the vengeance of the few gods who sympathized with her: Grandfather Helios the Sun Titan, Mother Gaea, and Hera, Protector and Guarantor of Marital Vows. Jason had wandered the Earth with the curses of the gods on his shoulders for the rest of his life, and while the accursed Greeks condemned her, she knew that the fires of her rage were just and right.

How typically hypocritical of the Greeks…a shame she had already died when the Siege of Troy had begun. Otherwise, she'd have returned, and unleashed all the forbidden lore she'd learned of Hecate against the cowardly fools.

But that was beside the point: blood called for blood, and vengeance she would have. Even if she had to turn the entire city to ash, she would find the one behind that abomination of shadow and make him or her beg for death.

As Caster screamed her rage and hatred, Assassin appeared behind her and placing a single hand on her back whispered a single word.

 _Zabaniya_

* * *

A/N

I had a lot of fun writing this chapter, especially Kirei. I just realized he might be considered a Renaissance Man. One: he's a priest. Two: he's a doctor (in a way). Three: he's a magus (well, spell-caster but close enough). Four: he's a psychologist (though his application leaves much to be desired). Five: he's a troll (see number four).

Moving on to the comments on Sakura's bust size, all I can say is wow, just **WOW**. You people do realize it comes from a dude who says things like 'people die when they're killed' (no shit genius) or 'even if your facts are correct it doesn't mean you're right' (okay this one's a valid argument), right? Whether taken literally or not, you do not say 'there's not much to see' to a lady changing/wrapping herself up, Shirou!

Ahem, rant over, I've been watching too much text-to-speech device it seems, I'm starting to rant like the Emperor…yes, well about her bust size. Um…I rather doubt her being as big as in canon, because one: she lives frugally. Two: she has a rather active physical training regimen. Lifestyle affects puberty, so most of her nutrients would probably go to bone and muscle. She'd probably be on the bigger side of C at most, but I strongly doubt she'd reach a D much less canon E.


	16. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: I do not own the Fate franchise it belongs to Kinoko Nasu and Type-Moon.

Different Fates

Chapter 15

 _Snip, snip, snip_

Dark strands of hair fell to the sound of scissors, Sakura trimming the ragged edges of her hair. She's already cut it earlier, to remove the parts burnt by Rin's lightning, but that had been an _ad hoc_ decision, and left her appearance well, _ragged_. The trim would fix that.

 _Snip, snip, snip_

Sakura placed the scissors provided by Kirei down, and using a comb to smooth her hair out tilted her head to the side. She moved her head a bit from side to side, and smiled at the reflection. "My, my," Sakura said. "Isn't this a blast from the past?"

The girl looking back from the mirror with short hair and a surprisingly-shy smile looked very much like a much younger girl from ten years ago. Even though it shouldn't be surprising, after all she had only grown out her hair, and she was still Sakura Tohsaka, it still was.

The smile faded at the thought. No, it wasn't the same. And it wasn't just physical appearance either. The girl from ten years ago didn't have a subtle depth born of experience and hardship in her eyes, a veiled wariness to her bearing, and perhaps most importantly (and Sakura felt a hint of shame that something so trivial could be so important to a _magus_ ), there was no red ribbon tied on her left brow.

 _A five year-old girl sat along a wall, dejectedly looking out at the family gardens. The reasons had been explained in ways that could be understood by her and her sister, for despite being prodigies as magi they were still young children. Even so, it still hurt._

 _Even though it was what she wanted, the reason she'd done something she would normally not have done, that from now on her parents would smile at her, it still hurt._

 _She didn't want her sister gone._

 _She didn't want to have her parents all to herself._

 _She just wanted them to smile at her like they did at her sister, to be like her, smart and pretty and always praised by their parents. And she'd done that. She'd learned magic on her own, and because of that they'd smiled at her like they did at Rin. They praised and congratulated her for every miracle she did, just like with Rin._

 _She never wanted this._

" _Hey," Rin asked, surprising Sakura as the six year-old leaned out of the back door. "What are you doing over there? And you shouldn't sit there your clothes will get dirty."_

" _I know." Sakura said dejectedly. "But, I can always just get rid of the dirt with magic. And I…"_

 _Rin looked curious, and then her eyes widened as she realized what Sakura was dejected over. In an hour or less, really when the Matou arrived, they wouldn't be sisters anymore. In fact they weren't already: once the papers had been signed, Rin Tohsaka had ceased to exist._

 _She was Rin Matou now. All that was left was for her 'new family' to pick her up. And until she became the Matou magus, they wouldn't be able to meet. Supposedly because the close bond between the former sisters may risk them exposing secrets to each other, until they were old enough they were to be kept apart._

 _Rin glanced at Sakura, and Sakura briefly glanced at her before looking away. Rin sighed, and scratched her head. And then coming closer, she sat down on the ground beside Sakura. "Here you go." She said, taking Sakura's hand and placing something inside._

" _What?" Sakura said, and then her eyes widened. "This is…!"_

" _Yes." Rin said with a sad smile. "It's my ribbon. The first one I ever made. And it's yours now."_

" _But,"_

 _Rin laughed. "I know." She said. And then taking the ribbon from Sakura's hand, she tied it on a lock of hair at Sakura's left brow. "But, no matter what happens from now, we were sisters once. So to remember those times, keep it, alright?"_

 _Sakura nodded slowly, but sadly kept her eyes from Rin. "I," she began softly. "I don't have anything to give you."_

" _Sure you do." Rin said while getting to her feet and patting her skirt clean. "Just promise me: be the best you can be, Sakura. That's good enough for me."_

 _Sakura looked up at Rin, and as their mother called for them both in the distance, that the Matou had arrived, Rin held out her hand to help Sakura up. "Let's go, Tohsaka-chan." She said sadly._

 _Sakura blinked, and then wiping her eyes took the hand. "Yes." She said. "Thank you, for everything Matou-chan. And I promise: I'll be the best magus ever. And…"_

 _Rin smiled just as sadly, and then turned to walk back into the Tohsaka mansion for the last time._

" _And yet,_ " Sakura thought while wistfully twirling the bare lock with her fingers. " _You destroyed that ribbon with you own hands. I wonder, did that, did that have deeper meaning than simply collateral damage, Rin?_ "

Sighing, Sakura left the toilet and walked back to the room where Kirei had examined her earlier. A set of clothes was waiting for her there, along with her freshly-washed underwear still warm from the dryer. And, was that a roll of bandages…? And weren't those clothes…?

An eye twitching, Sakura picked up a note placed on top of the neat pile. " _Sakura,_ " she read. " _Unfortunately I do not have casual women's attire, and while I could lend you some of my own clothes, I believe this would be more appropriate for you. And dare I say it, perhaps more satisfying for you as well. Furthermore, as I have neither bra nor regular bindings, you'll have to make do with bandages. We will be waiting in the living room once you finish dressing up._

 _P.S. these clothes belonged to my daughter when she visited shortly before the war started. For some reason she left them behind. They should fit you, but if not, then feel free to resize them._

"He has a daughter?" Sakura echoed incredulously. "I didn't know that. I wonder what she looks like."

For a moment Sakura tried to mentally-conjure an image of what Kirei's daughter would look like, only to keep coming up with a shorter, feminine Kirei. Pale-faced and cringing at the surprisingly-disturbing image, Sakura sighed and put on her underwear before using the bandages to bind her breasts.

The priestess' habit fitted surprising-well, though it was a bit short for her. And it was a bit tight across the chest, the habit apparently having been made for an A. Scratch that, it was several inches too short, and _several_ sizes too small.

"Okay, so maybe not as tall as Kirei." Sakura grouched. Walking over to her bag, she fished out a few gems to provide material with and adjusted the habit as needed. "That's much better."

Nodding first with satisfaction, Sakura sat down on a nearby chair to put on her shoes. And then getting to her feet, a thought occurred to her. Magus rationality briefly warred with adolescent urges, and then taking a look around to make sure no one could see, Sakura took hold of the habit and twirled on the spot while giving herself a once over.

"Yes very nice, very nice indeed." Sakura purred while grinning with delight. She gave herself another once over, and frowned, tapping at her chin. And then she snapped her fingers. "I need boots. But, shoes are tricky things, so we'll just have to make do with this."

Shrugging, Sakura turned and made to pick up her sword, but she'd barely taken a step when another thought occurred to her. "A blast from the past…?" she asked softly, and then slowly reached up to tug at her hair.

She sighed, and turned back to her bag. Fishing out a diamond, she briefly toyed with it before clenching her fist around it. "Memory is knowledge." She said, light glowing from her fist. It wasn't a proper aria, not really. But it worked just as well as one in this case. "Knowledge is everything."

Opening her fist, she took the red ribbon and tied it on her left brow.

* * *

"Hey, where'd Emiya-senpai go?" Sakura asked as she entered the living room, only to find no sign of the boy in question. Saber was nowhere to be seen either, though Rider was there, leaning against a wall.

"I sent him off to freshen up and change his clothes." Kirei said with a smile. The priest was standing next to an armchair on which was seated a nervous-looking Shinji Matou. "I'm sure you've noticed the state of his clothing. It is simply common decency."

"Cloth the naked, is that it?"

"Is there a problem?"

"No," Sakura said. "I suppose it's to be expected from your vocation."

Kirei smiled wider and nodded once at her. "So," he said. "How are Caren's clothes?"

"Caren…?" Sakura asked. "Is that your daughter's name?"

"Daughter…?" Kirei echoed before giving a mocking laugh. "By blood and parentage yes, though I have to admit I could have been a better father. However, after her mother died I left her to be raised by her mother's family."

"I see."

"She's about your age as I recall." Kirei continued. "Though, I might say her potential could be superior to yours."

"Oh?" Sakura asked with a small smile. "Are you trying to make me jealous? Or are you trying to see how far my pride has grown?"

"Who knows?" Kirei answered cryptically, and Sakura laughed.

"I see." Sakura said. "Though, what's the basis for your claim Caren's potential is superior to mine? Or is it paternal pride speaking?"

"Paternal pride…?" Kirei echoed before laughing mockingly again. "What an interesting concept. But no, I was speaking professionally. After all, despite your skills with the blade and the fist, your skills as a magus are still only within that of the seventh and lowest rank of the Mages Association. Caren by contrast, is a fully-trained exorcist."

"Hmm…" Sakura hummed. "…that is rather impressive. But, I'd argue that it's inconclusive."

"Oh?" Kirei asked. "Is that your pride talking, or do you have some basis for saying so?"

Sakura laughed. "I focused on breathing and walking instead of western magecraft." She said. "Who's to say I couldn't have gone further had I focused otherwise?"

Kirei laughed in his turn. "A fair argument," he said, and Sakura bowed lightly at him. "Then, you have yet to answer my earlier question. How are Caren's clothes?"

"They were short and small for me." Sakura replied bluntly.

"That is no surprise." Kirei said. "She is only five feet and an inch tall, rather short for a European lady, though her father is Japanese so I suppose I must bear some of the blame for that."

"Uh, Kirei," Sakura said incredulously. "You're over six feet tall."

"And I'm still Japanese." Kirei persisted. "Genetics is never absolute."

"Well that's true."

"Though," Kirei continued. "Taking her Japanese heritage on her father's side into account, she's not really short by any stretch of the imagination. I would say she is of average height. It is _you_ who is tall. You are what, five feet and five inches tall?"

"Five feet and six inches tall, actually." Sakura corrected, somewhat embarrassed. It was the average height of a Japanese _man_ not a woman after all. "What can I say, all the training I do has done more than make me proficient in traditional weaponry and unarmed combat."

"And there's your Edelfelt heritage to boot as well."

"That was never proven." Sakura said quickly. "I don't know where that rumour came from, but personally I think it's going to be a major pain in the neck when I go to the Clock Tower. Or rather _if_ I go to the Clock Tower."

"You don't plan to go?" Shinji piped up, and Sakura looked curiously at him. So did Rider and Kirei. With him having stayed silent all this time, it was as if they'd all forgotten he was there.

"Eh," Sakura fumbled while running a hand through her hair. "I might stay here in Japan, or maybe go to China or India instead. My focus is on breathing and walking, and with the Association's obtuse blindness regarding non-western magical systems, there's probably not much point in going west."

"A fair argument," Kirei noted. "But, if you plan to go on a training trip across Asia, what of your duties as the Supervisor of this Territory?"

"Yes, that is a problem isn't it?" Sakura agreed while crossing her arms over her chest. "But, it'll still be a problem even if I go west instead of staying here in the east."

Sakura sighed and smiled. "Well," he said. "I still have a couple of years to go before making decisions like those. And there's still this war too. For now, I should focus on that."

Kirei nodded, and gave Sakura a once over. "I see you altered more than just the height." He noted. "Though, I shouldn't be surprised. While I am unaware of the details, just by looking at you and mentally comparing your appearance with Caren, professionally-speaking you are larger than her."

"Which I'll choose to take as a compliment," Sakura said with a laugh. "Then again, you've seen quite a bit haven't you doctor?"

Kirei laughed and nodded, and then heads turned as another door leading into the living room opened. Eyebrows rose – except for Kirei's – at an uncomfortable-looking Shirou Emiya's entrance, wearing a priest's habit rather similar to Kirei's own. The only thing missing was the priest's crucifix.

Sakura glanced at Kirei and then back at Shirou. "Enjoying your little joke, Kirei?" she asked.

Kirei just laughed and shrugged, and Sakura laughed as well before walking towards Shirou. The redheaded boy flinched back as Sakura leaned in with an appraising smile, and slowly walked around him while scanning him with her eyes. "W-what the, what are you doing Tohsaka?" he demanded.

"Isn't it obvious Emiya?" Shinji asked with a roll of his eyes. Shirou blinked and glanced at Shinji, only just noticing his presence. "She's checking you out."

"She's what?" Shirou gaped, and then shaking himself into place glared at Sakura. "Stop that, I'm not a piece of meat. And you!"

He turned to Shinji with an accusatory finger, and causing the other boy to jump in his seat. "What are you doing here?" Shirou demanded.

"W-w-well I uh…"

"You know I wonder about that myself." Sakura said, stepping back and nodding approvingly. "With that said, I have to say you're not bad-looking are you, senpai. No wonder Rin's jumped you despite how unprofessional it is."

Shirou gaped at her, and again shook his head clear. "Are you," he began. "Are you _flirting_ with me?"

"What?" Sakura asked, blinking in surprise. "No, of course not, I was just making an observation that's all. Not that it's erroneous in any way, of course."

"Right," Shinji said with a roll of his eyes.

Sakura just smiled and shrugged.

* * *

"So," Sakura said while placing her teacup down. "Why are you here?"

Shinji looked at Kirei who shrugged and answered for him. "While Matou here lacks magical potential," he said. "He has a surprisingly-fine grasp of magical theory, both general and family-specific."

"You questioned him over it?" Sakura asked with some surprise.

"As I recall the agreement between you two stipulated that I offer him career advice within the Holy Church." Kirei replied serenely. "To ascertain whether he was suitable for 'special' duty, I had to measure his proficiency in the supernatural. And I will be honest: I did think he had potential for such. Magical dud aside, he was raised in a magus household. He had to know something."

"And…?"

Kirei smiled. "I do not know if he can be an Executor like I used to be." He said. "But, I daresay room may be found for him in the Eighth Holy Sacrament. He'll have to finish a seminary course first of course, but that is not such a hindrance."

"I see."

Shirou slammed his hands against the table, levelling a suspicious glare at Shinji. Sakura narrowed her eyes, glancing from the corners at Shirou beside her. "What agreement?" he demanded.

"Well I," Shinji babbled, shrinking back from Shirou's gaze. He'd known Shirou was a magus, he was Shinji's sister's apprentice after all, but the intensity in those eyes: he never thought he'd see them in the eyes of his once best friend, and possibly only real friend.

He remembered elementary, and middle school, when they'd used to be friends, how they'd watched each others' backs against people who would pick on them. Shirou for his orphan status, Shinji for having his nerve and will – no matter how bitter the thought made him – crushed from him by his twisted bitch of his sister.

 _Damn that bitch._

 _It's not enough that she takes my pride from me, she also stole my friend._

 _Damn her!_

He remembered how Shirou used to talk all the time about justice and heroism, and how he would grow up to be a superhero. He'd help people, save who needed to be saved, and fight evil wherever it might appear.

From what Shinji knew some was still left of the Shirou he knew, the friend he used to have. But Rin's claws were too deep, and he knew, sooner or later, nothing would be left of his old friend.

Already, the signs were already there: his loyalty and devotion to her, carnal delight helping the poison spread.

 _I wish, I really wish, those days would come back._

 _When I could call you my friend, and it were just the two of us._

 _Maybe, maybe if things were still like that, and I told you of my family, would you…?_

 _Would you, could you have saved me?_

"That message," Shirou said with mounting anger. "The one that was supposed to be from your grandfather, it was a lie wasn't it? It was just something to get Rin away, so Tohsaka could fight me wasn't it?"

Shinji swallowed dryly and weakly nodded. Things went into high speed.

Shirou lunged forward at Shinji. Sakura grabbed his left arm and twisted it, causing Shirou to stumble and cry out in pain. And then simultaneously leaning forward and pulling him back, she slammed the open palm of her left hand into his chest, slamming him back against his chair, wide-eyed and gasping.

"We're under truce." Sakura told him neutrally. "Please keep that in mind."

Shirou glared at her. Sakura stared back. "In the world of the magi," she said. "Things like this are perfectly normal."

"And that makes it right?" Shirou spat. "You don't just betray family damn it!"

"Did I say it was right?" Sakura asked back. "I simply said it was normal in the world of the magi. And in any case, I'm not in any position to condemn it."

"Of course not," Shirou said with a sneer. "That'd be so hypocritical of you, and that would be below you isn't it, Sakura Tohsaka?"

Sakura glared at Shirou. "This is war, senpai." She said sternly. "This is not a game where everyone fights fair and square and wins and losses are taken as sport. THIS IS **WAR**. Magi against magi, Servant against Servant, and the only rules are that the secrecy of magic is to be preserved, and civilians are not to be involved deliberately in any way."

Shirou grit his teeth, staring at Sakura in the eyes, but the girl refused to back down. Eventually he looked away, staring down at his hands. He clenched them into fists. "Even if your facts are correct," he said. "It doesn't make you right."

"Yes, I know."

Shirou turned back to Sakura in outrage. "Then why?" he demanded.

"I'm a magus that's why." Sakura said, the words spoken with such fatality that Shirou's anger vanished to be replaced by horror. "For the prize that is at stake, as long as my pride and my family's legacy is unstained, I must do all I can. And as I said, this is war. On my honour as a swordswoman, I won't accept the shame of half-measures."

"Tohsaka, you,"

"I don't care if you hate me." Sakura said with a sigh, and broke his gaze.

Shirou made a disgusted sound. "What kind of life is that?" he whispered. Sakura closed her eyes but did not answer.

 _You're not a magus yet, Emiya-senpai. Not yet, but one day you'll have to face the same choice we did._

 _When that day comes, what will you choose?_

Shirou stayed silent for several more moments, and then he looked up at Shinji. Shinji blinked, surprised at the calm on his friend's face. "Why?" Shirou asked softly. "Why did you do that? Were you jealous that she was the one who could use magic between the two of you? That she was the one to inherit your family's power and knowledge? Is that why you accepted Tohsaka's offer, to get back at her, and get a place in, in this oh-so-wonderful world of the magi?"

Shinji looked away. "I was jealous once." He admitted momentarily. "But not anymore, there's no way I would be jealous now. Not after that, not after I learned what I learned."

"What?" Sakura said softly, her eyes narrow.

Her next words were drowned out by an explosion of anger from Shirou, who slammed his hands on the table again. "WHY?" he demanded. "Why did you betray your sister? Your own flesh-and-blood…? For old times' sake, tell me WHY?"

Shinji grit his teeth, and clenching his fists, glared at Shirou who was taken aback by the bitter fury in his eyes and face. "Flesh-and-blood…?" he echoed. "My sister…? Don't joke around! That bitch, that monster so just like that walking corpse that's our grandfather, is not my sister! She never was! Not in blood, and she never will be!"

"Walking corpse…?" Sakura echoed in shock and suspicion. "What do you mean by that?"

"You might as well tell the whole truth, Shinji Matou." The heretofore silent Kirei said. "Much of what is to come won't make sense unless the whole truth comes out. And that goes for you too, Sakura."

Kirei smiled. "You wouldn't want poor Shirou Emiya to get confused by your possible reaction, would you?" he asked, and Sakura looked at him suspiciously. She then glanced at Rider, and then back at Kirei with narrowed eyes.

"What do you know, Kirei?" she asked softly. It couldn't be seen in her eyes, or in either or both her face and bearing, but there it was, a subtle hint in her voice: fear. It wasn't just fear either, for this fear was deeper, born of the suspicion that one who'd always guided her and stood by her ever since her parents had died had hidden things from her. Things that she needed to know, possibly even out of self-interest.

"It's best to start from the beginning." Kirei said theatrically. "Otherwise, confusion will be the result."

He glanced grandly at Shinji. "So," he said to the boy. "Won't you elaborate what you meant when you said Rin Matou wasn't your sister? At least, not in blood that is."

Shinji snorted and looked away, anger giving way to sullen resignation. It seemed in the end, his family's wretchedness wasn't something he could escape, and most likely vengeance would fall on his head before on his grandfather for what had been done to Rin in the past. Be it by Tohsaka's sword, or by his former friend's fists.

There was no doubting it. Once they learned the truth, their reactions would only be as expected.

 _In the end, Shirou's devotion to Rin will make him want revenge, just as much as Tohsaka would._

 _Blood calls for blood._

 _Damn it, just this far, this is the furthest I can get, damn it all!_

Shinji looked up, seeing the expectant but belligerent Shirou and the inscrutable Tohsaka. A faux priest and priestess, both of whom held his fate in their hands. " _If I'm going to die,_ " he thought. " _Then I might as well face it with dignity. The old worm would probably beg or do something just as pathetic, so at the very least, Shinji Matou managed to get one over him even in death._ "

Shinji laughed bitterly and shook his head. "Alright," he said. "Let's get this over with. As I said, Rin Matou is not my sister, not by blood. Only in name and by law and no she didn't dye her hair or wear contacts. Though you would know all about that, wouldn't you Emiya? You've been sleeping with her after all haven't you?"

"That's not what's important right now!" Shirou said angrily. "If she isn't who she is, then who is she? And that eye and hair colour, alchemy? It was alchemy wasn't it? Why did she have to go through alchemical adjustment?"

Shinji made to answer, but it was Sakura who answered. "Because if she didn't," she said neutrally. "She wouldn't have been able to inherit the Matou crest. Crests are bound to bloodlines after all, and since Rin wasn't born a Matou, she couldn't have inherited it as she was back then."

"Tohsaka," Shirou said, turning to Sakura. "You know?"

"Of course I know," she said with a snort. "This part of the truth, that is. We grew up together, and we were close, so very close, back in those years when we were so young and innocent."

Sakura laughed mockingly. "She was once Rin Tohsaka." She said. "Yes, she was my older sister, formerly the eldest daughter and heiress of the Tohsaka family."

* * *

A/N

Shots fired.

Wow, this part of the story certainly got much longer than I expected it would be. The discussion in Kirei's living room might go on for a while, as the whole closet of skeletons breaks open.

Guest: I'm not angry. I'm just exasperated. And speaking of waifus (I hate that word)…

For those of you who got hung up on DF Sakura's appearance, allow me to clarify (though I'd bet this would set off a chain reaction in my reviews). She starts out with her canon hairstyle, sans the ribbon which got destroyed when Rin killed her years back. Now, she's gone back to her Fate/Zero hairstyle, including a ribbon, though this one she made herself (as stated in the chapter).

Comparatively (you want numbers read the chapter above), she's as tall as Shirou here, where in canon she was several inches shorter than him. Also, smaller breasts, though she's still bigger than either Rin or Caren, both of whom are A-cups. DF Sakura is a C-cup.

And yes, Kirei is in fact a six-footer in canon, at least in Fate/Stay Night. He was just a five-footer in Fate/Zero for some reason.


	17. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: I do not own the Fate franchise it belongs to Kinoko Nasu and Type-Moon.

Different Fates

Chapter 16

Homunculi: artificial Humans born or rather _coined_ by means of alchemy, in a process that can be described as a combination of ancient Thaumaturgy and modern technology. As with many such processes, the coining process is flawed and this is reflected in the final output. This usually takes the form of albinism, stunted physical growth, infertility, and other such defects.

Three homunculi were in the living room of a European-style manor in a wooded property in the outskirts of Fuyuki City. Like all Einzbern homunculi they were albinos, and the two dressed in archaic maid uniforms were despite appearances only a few years old.

In contrast, the homunculus pacing irritably in front of them despite looking less than a decade old was actually twice that. "I don't get it!" Illyasviel von Einzbern finally exploded. "What the hell is going on?"

Sella and Leysritt stood silent. And then Sella took a step forward. "My lady," she said. "Is it possible that Caster has not been killed? Is there any other possible reason that despite the witch having fallen, her energies have not been transferred to you?"

"No," lllya conceded. "But something about the whole mess on top of that mountain just doesn't feel right. Even if we had no eyes close to the battlefield, Caster was going all out. That much was clear from all the lights in the sky. But, then it just ends. And that doesn't make sense! If Caster won, why hasn't she rebuilt her defences? And if she died, why can't I feel her?"

"If that is the case our only choice is to investigate is it not?"

"I am not walking into a trap." Illya huffed. She turned and walking a short distance plopped down on an armchair. "And that's what the mountaintop temple feels like right now. But, I still don't know what happened there, and I need to know!"

"Then perhaps you should send familiars to scout out the location."

Illya sat silent for a while, mulling over the idea. "I could do that." She finally conceded. Sella bowed and stepped back. "But just as worrying are Tohsaka and Makiri, or rather their relationship with onii-chan. Makiri stayed over with onii-chan, and apparently regularly too. Damn it, I'll kill her for that, I'll crush her under my heels like the worm that she is, damn it. I'd have done it sooner too, if only I knew how onii-chan might react."

Illya bit on a thumb repeatedly while muttering death threats against Rin Matou, running from simple ones like having Berserker crush her flat all the way to the inventive, such as tearing her apart, limb from limb, organ by organ, and then mounting her bleached bones on a wall and pickling her organs in jars. All the while keeping her still-living brain in a jar of course, so Illya could gloat to Makiri's 'face' whenever she wanted.

 _I might even let her watch while I make love with onii-chan._

Sella and Leysritt stayed silent as Illya giggled and squirmed childishly at the thoughts. And then her mood soured as more serious thoughts occurred to her. "Onii-chan and Tohsaka fought." She murmured. "I didn't see the battle after they entered the trees, but Makiri intervened and then quickly retreated."

Illya sat silent, tapping her finger against an armrest. "Considering Tohsaka and onii-chan's injuries," she murmured. "And I didn't sense any compulsion over onii-chan, it was a draw. But that doesn't explain the truce afterwards, or why they went to Kotomine Church."

Illya narrowed her eyes. "Could Tohsaka have used a compulsion that I couldn't sense at least not in person?" she wondered. "No, he had all his command spells, and the way he acted was too fluid and natural for someone under a compulsion. And, Saber would have noticed and taken action wouldn't she?"

Illya bit her thumb again. "Tohsaka, Makiri," she growled. "Troublesome girls, but I'll deal with them later, along with onii-chan."

Illya glanced at her maids. "Enough," she said, already mentally directing familiars mid-flight to Mt Enzo. "Get me something sweet to eat so I can get my mind off this."

Sella and Leysritt bowed and left to bring Illya's demands. Alone, Illya crossed her arms and sat frowning.

* * *

"Your older sister…?" Shirou echoed in shock and surprise. "T-that's, no, how?"

Sakura glanced curiously at him. "So she never told you?" she asked but clearly not expecting an answer. "I'm not surprised, it's probably no, it's undoubtedly a sore point for her. But I'll give you an answer. Senpai, have you ever heard of the saying 'an heir and a spare'? I'm sure you have."

"Yes, I have." Shirou said. As he spoke, he kept his eyes on Sakura's face, noting in hindsight and making connections in his mind that he'd never noticed before. It was only then that he realized that if it weren't for the different colours of their irises and hair, Sakura with her hair as it was before she cut it looked so very much like Rin did when her hair was down.

 _Rin, what happened to you?_

 _Where are you now?_

 _What are you doing?_

"Normally the eldest would be the heir, and the second-born would be the spare." Sakura said. "In case the heir dies, or is found unsuitable, then the spare takes their place."

"I know that." Shirou said impatiently. "I also know that otherwise spares are traded away in arranged marriages, or put in roles to support the main family. I also know that magus training starts early, to get the body to become more easily accustomed to the strain of magecraft early on. So what I want to know is how _you_ replaced her as heir."

"Yes, I'm sure you are." Sakura said with a nod. "But did you also know that in magus tradition, second-born aren't usually taught magecraft? They're not kept in the dark, but rather their potential is left untapped. This is supposed to prevent or at least reduce rivalries forming and splitting families apart. Family feuds are bad enough, no need to add magic to the mix. After all when things 'heat up', lives and resources are lost, _including_ all sorts of precious knowledge."

"Get to the point Tohsaka."

Sakura laughed. "Impatient much," she said. "I was jealous."

"What?"

"You heard me, I was jealous." Sakura said with a shrug. "She was always the favourite you know. So many high quality magic circuits, a mind both bright and eager all at once, and the Five Elements. And she was already very pretty back then too. They always smiled at her, always praised her, more than they ever did at me."

Shirou narrowed his eyes. Sakura glanced at him. "I'm Human too." She said. "And I was a child. I wanted to be like her. So I asked to be taught. I was refused. Tradition was explained to me, and then I was sent away."

"What happened after that?"

"I asked my sister." Sakura replied. "She refused, and tattled on me. I was gently scolded, and then sent away again. It only left me more jealous than before."

Sakura paused and laughed quietly. "I decided to take matters into my hands then." She said. "I snuck into the workshop, the bounded fields recognizing my blood and letting me in. Still, if not for Kirei's help,"

At that Sakura paused and nodded at Kirei, who smiled and nodded back at her. "We would not be talking like this here and now." Sakura finished.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Shirou asked.

"The written material had heavier protections." Sakura said with another quiet laugh. "I burned my hand trying to get them. Kirei however saw it happen. He asked me what I was doing, and explained myself. And he helped me. He healed my hand and he gave me a book from which I taught myself the basics."

Sakura glanced at Kirei. "Thank you," she said. "For what you did back then and for everything since,"

Kirei shrugged and smiled. "You are welcome." He said.

"Eventually my father caught on." Sakura continued. "He confronted me. And I defended myself."

Sakura smiled. "Tradition only says I shouldn't be taught." She said. "It doesn't say anything against self-study."

Shinji snorted and then actually laughed. "That's a very lawyerly interpretation." He said with a voice heavy with amusement. "Or should I say a very _magus_ interpretation?"

Sakura shrugged. "Father thought so too." She said. "He laughed, and he approved. I had a magus' spirit he said, rebellious yes, but a magus' spirit for all that. He apologized for not letting me explore my talents, and allowed me to study on my own. I…"

Sakura trailed off, falling silent for several moments in recollection and then she sighed. "At last," she said. "I had become just like her. I shared our parents' smiles and praises."

"But…?" Shirou pressed. "Something else happened, didn't it?"

"The Matou and Tohsaka families are old allies." Sakura said with a sigh. "Unfortunately the former was dying out, their recent generations being born with no magic circuits. Apparently something with the land didn't agree with them."

Sakura saw Shinji flinch, but said nothing of it. "So," she continued. "The Matou family head Zouken approached my father, and asked to be allowed to adopt me as their heir. After all, as the eldest Rin was the heir of the Tohsaka family, and only one in every generation – barring special circumstances such as the Ore Scales Sorcery Trait – could inherit the family crest in any case. And by all rights, I should have become Sakura Matou."

"So why then?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Sakura replied with a sad smile. "I was judged more valuable to the Tohsaka than my sister was."

"What?"

"Our potential is the same actually." Sakura elaborated. "We have the same number and quality of magic circuits. I'm not or was not as openly eager for knowledge like my sister was, but when I get and got serious, I was easily her equal."

"Well it can't be because of your affinity Rin's an Average One and has all Five Elements." Shirou said neutrally. "Your origin…?"

"Rin is an Average One yes." Sakura said. "But, there's no guarantee her children will be Average Ones too."

Shirou perked up at that, and then his mind made the connection, and his eyes went wide. Origins like elemental affinities couldn't be guaranteed to be passed down in full, and together with Sakura's earlier comment about her being more valuable despite all things being equal, well that left only one possibility.

"You have a Sorcery Trait."

"Imaginary Numbers," Sakura said with a small smile. "I have that. And my children will have it, and their children, and so on and so forth. Did you know? The Tohsaka has produced elemental users of every kind in the past, even if never an Average One until my sister was born. But the important part there is that if I had become a Matou, then the opportunity to explore what Imaginary Numbers can offer to our family will be lost, or rather handed over to them. Plus one for them and zero gain for the Tohsaka."

"But if you stayed with Tohsaka," Shinji said. "They would gain Imaginary Numbers, which is incredibly rare. It is a Sorcery Trait after all. And while Matou would gain the Five Elements, it's a plus one for both sides, since Tohsaka already has all Five Elements in the past. Things stay equal."

"Precisely," Sakura said with a nod. She then glanced at the silent and thoughtful Shirou. "Any thoughts, senpai…?"

"So that's why she hates you." He eventually said, glancing sadly at Sakura. "She thinks you stole what was hers."

"Yes, she does." Sakura agreed. "And in a way one can sympathize. Ever since she was old enough to understand the world around her, she was already being groomed to be the family heir. But with one decision, it was all gone."

"But," Shirou said. "How old were you then?"

"I was five."

"That would make her six." Shirou said, clenching his hands into fists. "What can a five year-old girl do? How could she possibly affect the decisions of the family head?"

Sakura laughed bitterly. "I can answer that." She said, and Shirou glanced surprised at her. Sakura looked at him. "If I hadn't studied on my own, my father would probably have continued to underestimate my value, and she wouldn't have lost everything."

"That's true in a way I guess," Shirou conceded. "But it's only natural for younger siblings to look up to and follow the example of an elder sibling. You can't be blamed for chasing after her. Even if it led to your father choosing you over her, then…!"

Shirou broke off abruptly, and looked away uncomfortably. Sakura could guess though, what he was going to say. "You were going to say it was my father's fault, weren't you?" she asked.

"The decision was his."

"Yes it was."

"Could you do the same thing to your children?" Shirou asked, turning to look at a stunned Sakura. "In the name of tradition, could you destroy everything your children believed in, tear them away from their family, and make them live with complete strangers, who would undoubtedly put them through alchemical modification so they can inherit their crest? Could you? Can you?"

Sakura looked away, her expression torn, and her teeth grit together. Her hands tightened on her sword's pommel. "The magus in me says yes." She finally said, and as Shirou sneered continued. "But the swordswoman, the woman, the _person_ …"

She trailed off, and Shirou snorted. "So you understand." He said.

"Blood is thicker than water." Sakura said, closing her eyes. "Father…"

"If only it were alchemical modification," Shiinji murmured to himself, and Sakura's eyes flashed open.

"What did you say?" she asked dangerously.

Shinji blinked, glanced at her, and then looked away. Shirou made to speak, but Sakura gestured for him to stay quiet, her eyes fixed on Shinji. Shinji stayed silent for several moments, and then he sighed. And when he looked back at Sakura, he had an air of quiet dignity around him, of stoic resignation and acceptance.

It was the air of a man facing his death.

"What do you know of the Matou magecraft?" he asked.

"Not much," Sakura replied after a moment. "It's based on the water element, and heavily focuses on familiars. I also know about a system called engraving, wherein mysteries instead of being taught normally are, well, _engraved_ directly on the magus' body. It's supposed to be painful, like torture essentially, but it's also supposed to be very effective."

"Are you serious?" Shirou snapped at her. "Essentially torture, but you can talk so…!"

"And what do you think getting a magic crest involves?" Sakura interrupted. "Engraving is probably just the same, just more extensive. It's not like it's the whole of the Matou magecraft."

"And whatever gave you that idea?" Shinji asked, and Sakura turned back to him. "Whatever gave you the idea it's not the whole of the Matou magecraft? Or that engraving is anything like a proper crest's implantation?"

Sakura narrowed her eyes. "What are you saying?" she asked.

"Engraving," Shinji said. "It basically involves getting thrown into a pit filled with parasitic worm familiars, which proceed to enter the body, turn it into their host, and in so doing 'engrave' the family mysteries into the body. You could say as the body is torn apart, it 'learns' how to perform the family mysteries. All you need to do is learn the arias, and everything else comes with, well, training."

Shinji looked away, as Sakura and Shirou looked utterly horrified. "As for how they enter," he said. "Well, either they tear their way in, or they use pre-existing orifices. Do I really need to go into the details?"

"Y-y-y-you, animals…!" Shirou snarled, making to lunge forward only to be held in place by an iron grip on his arm. He turned to see a pale-faced Sakura staring at Shinji.

"How long has this been going on?" she demanded quietly.

"How long do you think?" Shinji replied.

"Don't fuck with me!" Sakura spat.

"Obviously," Shinji said. "Since the day she arrived."

Sakura's expression melted with further horror. " _Gods in Heaven,_ " she thought. " _What have they done to you sister? Y-you, you were six years-old, 'pre-existing orifices'…? Gods in Heaven no, no, no, no, NO…!_ "

"She was six years-old, gods." Shirou whispered all the while held in place only by Sakura's hand on his arm. "Do you even realize what you're saying? She was six! And she was basically raped…! By worms no less…!"

"It's worse than that." Sakura whispered. "Familiars, the worms are familiars, extensions of a magus, gods above and below, Zouken might as well have it done it himself. Gods above and below, Rin, nee-san…"

Taking several deep breaths, Sakura swallowed dryly. "Is that all there is?" she whispered. "Tell me everything, as quickly as possible."

Shinji swallowed dryly. "As I mentioned the worms are parasites." He said. "They feed on the body and the shock and pain must be carefully balanced with the host's endurance or they will die. So…"

"In other words," Sakura spat, horror beginning to turn to rage as she had never felt before. "Training is essentially a matter of getting fed into a seething pile of flesh-eating parasites. Worse, they don't leave once training is finished for the day, some of them stay inside you don't they?"

Shinji nodded jerkily, and Sakura grit her teeth. "Night after night," she snarled. "Getting fed to worms that tear their way into her, filling her mouth, her nose, her ears, places that only the person she loves should be able to reach, you damn bastards…what about her crest? After everything you've told us, don't even think of holding anything back bastard! The alchemy, what did you bastards do to my sister?"

"There was no alchemy." Shinji said softly. "The worms did all that."

Sakura was shaking now, and her jaw worked with mounting rage. "Is that all?" she whispered.

"No,"

"THEN SPIT IT OUT!"

"Tohsaka…" Shirou said. He was angry too, but he wasn't the one holding a sword. Oh if he wasn't being held back he'd undoubtedly be beating Shinji to an inch of his life, but he probably wouldn't kill him, probably.

"Her crest," Shinji said with another dry swallow. "They're made from a unique breed of worm. Once bonded to their host, they are almost impossible to remove, and can perform anything a normal crest can do."

"Gods damn it," Sakura spat. "Keep going damn you. What else was taken from her? You've already taken her pride, her dignity, everything that made her a person, stepped all over it, so stop wasting time and tell me everything already!"

"If she were a man, then they'd have killed her in a year." Shinji said. "The crest worms need plenty of energy. Men provide it with their flesh. To survive, men must transfer their souls into a container, one of the worms usually, and when they die, the worms consume another's body, turning it into their host and remaking it into their image."

"Gods damn it," Sakura snarled. "You called your grandfather a walking corpse earlier. He's a Dead Apostle isn't he, or something close to it? A fucking vampire on top of being a rapist son of a bitch…!"

"Women have it worse." Shinji said, swallowing dryly and beginning to sweat heavily. He also began to shake, an expression of shame, horror, and loathing dawning over his face. Shirou noticed, and his rage began to give way to suspicion and horror that _something_ had been done to his friend as well.

Sakura though, was too blinded by her rage to see it. "What?" she hissed.

"They don't feed on flesh, they feed on prana." Shinji replied, refusing to meet her eyes. With every word his shaking grew worse, spreading to his voice and turning his eyes wild. "They're ravenous, and quickly deplete the host's reserves. But instead of eating their flesh once it's depleted, instead they, they, they, they drive them into, into, into heat…"

Complete, dead, utter silence fell, and then afterimages flickering and divots flying in her wake, Sakura was behind Shinji, holding _Muramasa_ 's gleaming edge to his neck. Resonating with its master's rage, Shirou could literally _feel_ the sword's bloodlust pouring from it. "You fucked my sister didn't you?" she whispered. "You're the other side of the equation in tantric rituals to replenish her prana. Gods damn you, you bastards, you complete and utter bastards!"

"Tohsaka, Sakura, calm down." Shirou said half-rising to his feet. There was something more to this, and it was clear her head was too clouded with rage to see it. As for him, well, maybe there was something to be said about walking through a sea of fire and corpses as a child.

Once horror reaches a certain point, it becomes meaningless.

"I didn't have a choice."

"There is always a choice."

"No. Not here, not ever, there was never, we never had a choice. We're just tools, puppets for the old worm."

"You lie."

"No, I don't lie. I'm not lying. Please, I wouldn't lie about this. I swear."

Again, silence and then Sakura said two words.

"Show me."

Silence, and then Shinji whimpered. "Please," he begged. "Anything but that, I don't want to I don't want to see it, to remember, please anything but that."

"You will die."

"THEN KILL ME!" Shinji screamed, tears forcing their way out from closed eyelids. "JUST KILL ME, I DON'T WANT TO, I DON'T…"

And then slowly Sakura lowered her sword, staring at the sobbing Shinji. Kirei was silent, looking on with veiled disappointment, while Shirou was looking on with pity and sadness. And then slowly, Sakura touched the tip of her finger to the back of Shinji's head. She needs to know.

 _The door is ajar._

 _Sounds come through the crack: pants, gasps, moans, and the rythmic sound of flesh against flesh._

 _A boy kneels down and quietly looks through the crack._

 _An older man with greying violet hair, panting as he rhythmically pumps his hips between a spread pair of legs lying before him._

 _The thrusts grow frantic._

 _A girl screams in delight, and then man grunts several times, thrusting his hips hard._

 _White seeps barely visibly as the man falls back._

Sakura lowers her finger, fighting the urge to be sick, to raise _Muramasa_ , and end it all. Instead, she raises her finger, and again places it against Shinji's head.

A name comes to mind: Byakuya Matou – Shinji's father and Rin stepfather.

Sakura grits her teeth. More images, memories flicker through her head.

 _The boy, now a teenager, lies on his back, panting and moaning._

 _His night clothes are torn on him._

 _A naked girl with purple hair bucks and thrusts her hips against him, rhythmically moving on top of him._

 _She holds his arms down above his head, and as their thrusts grow frantic, she pulls them, and places his hands on her breasts._

 _Instinctively the boy kneads them, and he thrusts up against her with a cry, the girl arching back a matching cry of delight._

 _Satisfaction_

 _Delight_

 _Longing_

 _Shame_

 _Loathing_

"Are you satisfied?" Shinji asked, completely broken, Sakura staggering back several steps. "ARE YOU?"

"Your father raped her." She whispered. "And then she raped you after he died."

"Please," Shinji begged. "Just kill me. Please."

 _Gods above and below, why…?_

Shinji jerkily rose to his feet, and shaking off Shirou turned to Sakura with a pleading, broken expression on his face. "Just finish it already." He begged.

 _Did my father know? Mother…? They would have sent us to this, to that? Why?_

"Do it."

 _Does Kirei know? Did he leave me in the dark? Why?_

"DO IT."

 _I, I, I'm relieved, I'm actually relieved that I'm still who I am. Relieved, grateful even…_

" **DO IT!** "

 _I, I, I…_

With a scream Shinji threw himself at Sakura, grabbing at her sword-arm and moving too fast with speed born of despair and madness. And before Shirou or Sakura or anyone present can stop him, Shinji Matou pulls Sakura's sword up into his chest and through his heart.

* * *

A/N

Changing rating to M: bloody hell, this chapter was disgusting to write. How Urobochi enjoys making hellish stories – as I recall Nasu was unnerved and outraged at how he originally intended to end Kariya and Sakura's time together – has made me lose so much respect for the man. I feel dirty (spits).

Fortunately, while this part of the story isn't quite over yet I don't have anything more as disgusting as the above to write.

Death0887 this is partly your fault. '…if Rin used to do what I think she used to him…' thanks for making me think, and since Rin and Shirou only met when they were fourteen or fifteen, Rin had to have other means of supplying herself with prana before then.

Symphony of Spirals and Guest, right I forgot about Illya. It is heresy and it will be corrected as soon and as much as the story allows.


End file.
